Catching the Whisper in the Wind
by FortheLoveofWrestling
Summary: Jeff feels the pressure of his championship match at Armageddon and turns to drugs to help him relax, but soon Taker finds out and they have to deal with the consequences. Taker/Jeff and Taker/Orton.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I came up with this first chapter and wrote it down before it slipped me.  
Hopefully I can follow it up, if you all enjoy it. lol.

Thanks,  
FortheloveofWrestling

* * *

"What's this? An intervention?" Mark asked, looking at six men in his locker room.

"Kind of." Paul spoke up, causing Mark's brow's to furrow in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked, putting his gym bag on the floor and walking to the center of the room.

"We heard Vince and Steph yelling about the tests we took before Armageddon and-" Paul said, getting cut off by Adam.

"He tested positive for crack, Mark." Adam said, getting to the point.

Mark paused for a moment, "who did?"

"Who do you think?" Paul asked.

Mark stood silent for a moment, knowing full well who. "Everyone, but you two. Out." Mark sighed, "please" he added.

Not needing another second to think about what escaped Mark's lips, the four other guys in the locker room stood up and shared glances and nods with Paul and Adam. Mark stood with his hands rested on his waist and head turned to the ground until he heard the door finally close behind him. He sighed once more and then looked at the two men in front of him.

"So? What's going on?" he asked.

Paul hesitated for a second, trying to find words that wouldn't cause Mark to blow up. "After I heard them, I went in and talked to Vince myself. It took a lot of convincing and promising, but he's willing to let this slide so long as a few things happen."

"Like what things?" Mark asked.

"He's going to be fined as well as lose his championship bonus for the next pay-per-view, he's going to be doing a lot more promoting for a while and he'll be on probation for an even longer time than that. The least of it will be the restrictions and curfew. For now, that is. But if Jeff even looks funny, Vince will change his mind. He's even punishing _me_ for sticking up for him."

"He's really pissed off, Mark. He was ready to fire him right then and there if Paul hadn't walked-in." Adam added.

"He's also putting a whole hell of a lot of work into making sure that know one finds out about this."

Mark moved over to the small couch and sat down, "so then why did it get to everyone else who was here?"

"Vince also wants someone to tell him. He said he doesn't know what he'd do or say if he saw Jeff right now." Adam told him, moving to sit next to him on the couch, Paul following behind him with a chair.

"I don't get it. Why does everyone else know then?" Mark asked.

Paul sighed, "We were trying to think who could tell him. Wedidn't know who, so we asked the people closest to him. We want you to be the one to talk to him."

"What? No. Why me? Why not Matt?"

Adam turned to Mark, "come on, Mark. You know how they get when it comes to this stuff. Neither one of them knows how to deal with it."

"Okay. Why not you? You're the one who stuck up for him" Mark said to Paul.

"Because i'm not you, Mark."

Mark rolled his eyes, "no, Paul, come on. He's got you involved now, so he should hear it from you. You guys know how it is between us, it won't mean any more from me than it will anyone else."

"You're wrong. You love him, so he'll listen to you." Adam chimed in.

"You're right Adam, I do love him, so don't you think I've already tried to talk to him about it? You know how Jeff is. He does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. There are times when we're together for a few days and then like nothing, he'll be out the door in the morning and won't talk to me for a while. He can't commit to being with me and he can't commit to keeping his promises of staying clean." Mark said, lowering his head to his hands. "And now," he sighed, "he's lying to me about it. He told me the other day he hadn't touched anything in a few weeks. I'm lost when it comes to him. "

"That's what he needs to see." Adam said. "He needs to see that pain and frustration from you." Adam finished.

"What can I say now that will change his outlook on everything? There's nothing left for me to say."

Paul stood up from his chair and placed it back at the table, "then what'll it hurt to try again, big man?" he said.

"Where is he?" Mark sighed, the other two men smiled.

"With the trainer."

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Making his way to the trainer's office, Mark thought of all the things he might try and say to make Jeff see what was happening and hopefully convince him that he needs to put real effort into getting clean, but he kept coming up with the same stuff he'd already said a million times before. _This is the last time. I can't keep letting it go. _He thought to himself, making himself chuckle. He knew there'd never be a 'last time.' If the 'last time' was a million 'last times,' he still wouldn't give up.

Mark finally got to the trainer's and poked his head inside the opened door.

"Hey." he said.

Jeff turned around from his position on the table and smiled, "hey. What are you doing here?"

Mark returned the smile and turned to the trainer, "can I interrupt you for a few minutes?"

"Yeah, i'm all done here anyway. You have a couple of bruised ribs, Jeff." he said, pulling off his gloves, "Take it easy for a while, if you have any trouble breathing or anything let me-"

"I know, doc, I know the procedure." Jeff said with a smile.

The trainer just shook his head, "I know you do and you shouldn't."

"Thanks." Mark told him as he left and closed the door behind him.

"What's up, babe?" Jeff said, sitting up on the table, slipping his t-shirt over his head.

"Don't 'babe' me, Jeff." Mark stated, arms crossed and leaning against the wall.

Jeff frowned, "what the hell is wrong with you, man?"

"No, Jeff, what the hell is wrong with _you?_ What do you have going on up there in that head of yours? Fried one too many brain cells?"

"Man, what in the hell are you talking about, Mark?" Jeff said, getting a bit angry, but still looking relaxed as he leaned back against the wall behind him.

"Jeff, you've got yourself a real opportunity here. And you almost lost it. Almost lost everything. All for a quick high?"

Suddenly, Jeff knew exactly what Mark was talking about. "Isn't that stuff supposed to be confidential or something?"

"Yeah, but not when the guys, who helped push to make you champion, have to stick there necks out to defend you."

"They did?" Jeff said, finally offering some emotion.

"Yeah, Paul did." Mark said, taking a few steps closer to Jeff. "Vince was ready to fire you, Jeff. But they convinced him otherwise."

"Mark, I only did it because that night I was bored and just kept thinking of the match. I was getting so nervous. I needed to relax a little."

"What?" Mark asked loudly.

"I was-"

"No, Jeff, I heard you. I just can't believe that. You did it before your match?"

"I know, Mark, I just-"

"Come on, you know better than that, Jeff."

"Mark, just let me explain." Jeff said, pulling his knees up to his body.

"Explain how you're not only messing yourself up, but going out there and putting Paul and Adam in danger too?" Mark said, getting very angry and frustrated. "You could have really hurt them, Jeff."

"I know, Mark. I'm sorry." Jeff said, burying his face in his arms.

Mark sighed and turned around and started to pace a bit. From the table he heard muffled sniffles and turned back around.

"Jeff." he said softly. "Jeff." Jeff poked his head out from his arms.

"I'm sorry, Mark."

"If you're bored, find me. I'll think of something to keep you busy." Mark said, with a small smirk on his face.

Jeff smiled and let his legs down and scooted to the end of the table, head still hanging.

"Why won't you just let that stuff go?"

"Not again, Mark." Jeff groaned. "It's not easy."

"No, it's not. But it's not impossible. You haven't even really tried, Jeff."

"Well maybe I just don't want to, Mark." Jeff shouted to him.

Feeling his frustrations building once again, Mark snapped back at Jeff. "Boy, what in the world did your momma do when she was having you, to make you so damned hard headed and selfish?"

"Hey!" Jeff said, jumping down from the table and getting in front of Mark, his finger in his face. "Don't ever say a word about my mother, Mark. Ever."

Mark took a step back, "you're right, Jeff. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything about your mom, but tell me, what do you think she would say about you using that shit all the time?"

Jeff stepped back and swallowed the lump in his throat, while blinking back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Mark felt his heart ache, he hated bringing his mother into their arguments, but it was the one thing he knew would ever make a dent in Jeff's thoughts.

"What are you doing tonight?" he asked Jeff, "how about you come over to my room, huh?"

Jeff sniffled and then looked up at Mark. "That mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Mark laughed, "no, I'm still very much mad at you, Jeff. We're going to have a really long talk about everything."

"Gee, what an offer!" Jeff faked his excitement.

"You broke the rules, so you have to learn what your punishment is. And believe me, it's a much lesser sentence than you should have recieved. We'll discuss it tonight though, amongst other things." He walked closer to Jeff and continued, "you'll probably yell and get angry at what I say, and maybe even try to leave before i'm through, but i'll grab you hand," he said as he grabbed Jeff's hand, "wrap my arm around your waist," he said as he wrapped his arm around Jeff's waist, "and even though I know you hate when I say it, because I think, for some reason _you_ think i'm lying, i'll tell you that I love you and that I only want to help you get clean and stay clean and that I would do absolutely anything for you _and_ to make sure you're okay, even if it made you hate me."

Jeff shook his head, "can't believe I screwed up again."

Mark pulled Jeff closer to him and Jeff wrapped his arms around Mark.

"One of these days we'll make it right, Jeff." Mark said, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

* * *

Well? What do you think? Review and let me know. Thanks!  
Oh and check out my other story, **The Rocketman and the Deadman** (yeah, horrible title, I know. [And yeah, I just plugged my own story, sorry. =D])


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Huge **THANKS **to everyone who reviewed and added this fic and/or me. I really appreciate it! Like a BUTTLOAD!  
Here's part 2, hope you like it.

-FortheloveofWrestling

* * *

After the house show the boys had that night, there was very little partying afterwards, so Mark was in his room and in bed, looking through some emails, by 10 o'clock. Downstairs, where everyone was having dinner and drinks, he saw Jeff, Matt, Shane and a few other people together and figured that he'd already failed. Jeff was going to be wasted and wouldn't come up to see Mark, like he'd asked. This was one of their 'off' times anyway, if he wanted, Jeff could go the rest of the week avoiding him and find out what his punishment was from some guy or another, and wouldn't allow Mark to give him another big talk about drugs.

Mark sighed.

Because they were already on one of their 'off' times, he figured Jeff would spend a few extra days this time, ignoring and avoiding him because of the current situation he was in. Although Mark hated that Jeff did that to him, he let it go and would wait however long it took Jeff to finally call him back or to find him in his locker room or hotel room. Mark laughed at the thought of being Jeff's little toy. Of course Mark wanted more from their 'relationship,' but there was nothing he could actually do about it because there was a time before when Jeff was the one always pining for him. _He_ was the one that didn't want to stick with Jeff any longer than a few nights at a time; he was the one who didn't call Jeff for a few days and he was the one who would leave him in some hotel room while he left to be with his family. Now, it was Jeff who didn't call and Jeff who left him in the hotel room to go home with his brother and friends.

Mark looked at the time on his computer and leaned back against the pillows.

"And this is what you get when you take him for granted," Mark said to himself as he swung his legs around to the side of the bed and stood up with a groan.

He placed his computer on top of the table and headed into the main room of his hotel room, sometimes he wondered why he always took the nicer, larger rooms that he was privileged.

"Too many lights to turn off and no one to help turn them off," he said reaching for the switch when he heard a knock on the door. Mark leaned forward to look through the peep hole of the door and just shook his head when he saw a purple head.

With a smile he opened the door, "weren't you downstairs having a good time with your little, crazy friends?"

Jeff returned the smile and walked into the room, "yeah, I was, but the principal asked me to come in and see him."

Mark laughed, "I didn't think you'd care to see me tonight, when I saw you guys down there drinking."

"Well, I wasn't drinking because I knew I was going to come up and see you."

"Really?" Mark smiled, leaning down to quickly press his lips to Jeff's. "I'm glad you came, Jeff."

"I broke the rules, so I gotta hear what I got coming to me." he said as he threw himself onto the couch and then jumped up again, "wait!"

"What are you doing, kid?" Mark asked as Jeff put up the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door, walked over to the mini-fridge and grabbed two bottles of water and then grabbed Mark's hand and pulled him into the bedroom. There, he threw the water on the bed, pulled the big sofa-seat close to the bed and smiled up at Mark, who was standing in confusion. "Which do you want?"

Mark laughed, "Uh, it doesn't matter." Jeff looked between the two and decided to sit on the bed, legs crossed, facing the chair.

"Are you going to sit or what?" he asked.

Mark laughed again as he took his seat, "ready?" Jeff nodded. Mark took a few moments to think about how he was going to go about everything. Quickly changing his attitude he started.

"For the next few minutes, Jeff, I don't want to hear your voice, okay? You're going to listen to me and everything I have to say. I can't make you stay here and listen and I certainly can't make you care about it, but I hope that you do and that you are taking this very seriously because you screwed up, Jeff, you screwed up big time." Mark said, as Jeff slumped his shoulders and nodded his head. "But, I know that you know that already, so now we've got to deal with it. You and I both know how hard it was for you to finally get to this place in your career, so I know how much winning the title means to you. I just don't understand why you would make such a foolish and selfish decision that could have left you with nothing, Jeff. A few months ago, you told me that if you could just get into a good position and maybe even get a crack at the title, maybe, all the guys in the back would start to respect you again. Now you're the champion, the guys are depending on you now, so what do you do with their respect now? Go and smoke it all away, just like before."

Mark sighed and waited a moment before continuing. "To be completely honest, Jeff, i've had a little more time to think about it since this afternoon and I think it's pretty shitty howI believed you when you said you wanted to earn everyone's respect back and that you wanted to earn my respect back because you don't even care." Jeff wanted to say so much to Mark, his anger and frustration, as well as the guilt was pressing on him, but he knew Mark was serious when he said he didn't want to hear his voice, so he kept quiet. "As for your punishment, there are things coming from Vince and few things that I would like for you to do."

Jeff couldn't help but snort at Mark's words. _You're not my fucking dad, you asshole. _Jeff thought to himself.

"Have a problem already?" Mark asked him and received a scowl and shake of the head from Jeff. "Good. I'll start with what I want you to do. You know me and how I feel about manners, politeness and respect, so I think that the least you could do is apologize and be truthful to Paul and Adam, for putting their asses on the line for you, not only for having faith in you and pushing for your title win, but to keep you from being fired. I think they should know that you didn't just get caught with the stuff in your system, but that you went out the and put their lives in danger while you were high. Got it?" Jeff nodded, that he could live with.

"As for Vince, well, you should just try to avoid him for a while. I don't know if I got all the details, but according to Paul you're going to be fined and you're going to lose your bonus for the next pay-per-view, you're going to be doing a lot more promoting, apart from the usual and you're on probation. As of now it's mostly a few restrictions and you're going to be on a curfew." Jeff straightened up at that.

"What? You're kidding right? I'm not a kid, Mark. Who the hell does he think he is?" Jeff said, getting angry. He knew he was getting off easy, but he hated that it was going to be interfering with his life outside of the arena.

"Well, it's that or lose the title and be fired. Which do you want?" Mark asked.

Jeff got up from the bed and started yelling at Mark, "Come on, man. You know that's ridiculous. I know i'm getting off easy, but i'm not a child. I don't need to be on curfew and checked on every hour to make sure i'm not doing something I shouldn't be doing. I'll take my punishment, but I don't need you or anybody on my back about this. I screwed up, I know. You're disappointed in me, I know. But don't fucking treat me like a child."

Mark stood up, "then you need to stop acting like one and grow up. You have no idea how easy you're getting off and this is what you care about? Being on a curfew?"

Jeff just groaned and turned away from Mark, "and what the hell is this whole bad cop routine, huh? What happened to 'oh, I love you and i'd do anything for you'? Huh?"

Mark walked to Jeff and turned him around, "and you know that I do, but you like everything else, Jeff, you just don't give a damn."

Jeff stood silent, and Mark spoke again, "is this what you wanted, Jeff? Losing people's respect, winning the title, just to have others fight for you to keep it because you got 'bored' and decided to screw up again?" Mark paused for a moment, "you never lost my respect before, Jeff, because I thought you were making an effort to stop using, and at the very least I trusted you to be honest with me when you did use and now you're lying to me about it. Each time you do this a little part of me I forgets why I even care anymore." Jeff turned his head away from Mark and took a couple of steps back.

"Man, you're starting to remind me of my dad." Jeff said.

"Why? Is he giving up on you too?" With that last comment, Jeff's anger and emotions boiled over and he swung his arm forward and connected with Mark's jaw.

The punch sent Mark stumbling backwards and as he turned to regain his balance he knocked his knee on the corner of the TV stand. Mark grabbed his knee and let out a loud grunt of pain; Jeff made a motion, but instead it took all of the anger and pain that he was feeling to _not _walk over and help him.

"Or is it because neither one of us wants to get a call saying you're lying in some hospital somewhere? Or something worse." Mark said, standing straight, but shift his weight to the opposite leg. "Because that's what's going to happen one of these days, Jeff. We're just trying to help you."

Jeff hesitated for a minute. "Well, don't worry. I'll make sure they don't bother you when it does, so fuck you." Jeff finally said, mustering all his anger so that he wouldn't regret saying it and walked out of the room.

* * *

_Kind of short, sorry, but that was all I could do for this part.  
Having some trouble writing 'angry' Jeff. Hmm?  
So, **r**__**eview**, yeah?  
Thanks._


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I hit 100 hits the other day, thanks to you people reading my story. THANKS.  
-FortheloveofWrestling

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Mark sat in the trainer's room, icing his knee. As he sat, he thought about the whole situation that had played out the night before and he was sure that Jeff was going to be mad and probably not talk to him for a week or more.

"Hey man, tweak the knee?" Paul said as he came in and sat in the chair across from Mark.

Mark smirked, "yeah, something like that."

"You know, Adam and I were talking last night, after Jeff apologized to us and-"

"He apologized?"

Paul nodded, "yeah, he apologized and told us that he smoked before the match and everything."

Mark smiled slightly and allowed Paul to continue.

"Well, we were talking and we decided that maybe we might not have thought about how you confronting Jeff could cause you guys problems, what with your whole 'brokeback booty call' relationship, and all." Paul said, laughing.

Mark laughed, "don't worry about it, somebody had to talk to him, so our little 'brokeback booty call' relationship, i'm sure, made it a lot easier for me to be the one to do so."

"Well either way, sorry, man." Paul said, slapping his friend on the leg and standing up. "I've got to go, Steph's looking for me to watch the girls while she goes out to do something expensive."

"Alright, take it easy." Mark said, laughing.

After about ten minutes, Mark was deep in thought over how he would make his next move with Jeff. He thought about maybe telling Matt and maybe even his dad about what was going on, but he thought against bringing his dad into it. That would only make Jeff even more mad and that wouldn't help anyone. He figured if he told Matt, it would only help Jeff, but even that was starting to bring doubts to his mind.

Just as he had closed his eyes he felt someone standing over him. He opened his eyes and was quite surprised to see Jeff hovering over him. Mark straightened up in his seat and removed the ice from his knee. Jeff took a deep breathe as Mark winced in pain from standing and putting weight on his knee.

"How's the knee?" he asked, turning his back to Mark.

"Battered and bruised, but nothing it's not used to." Mark answered, sitting back down. Jeff nodded.

"Look Mark, I didn't mean to make you mess up your knee." Jeff said.

"And my jaw?"

"No, I meant to hurt your jaw."

"Alright, I guess maybe I deserved that."

Jeff chuckled and laid his hands on his hips.

"So, when will you be done brooding?"

Jeff turned around to stare at Mark, "what?"

"You're talking to me now; I didn't think you would for a while, but since you are, how about we just skip the brooding and ignoring so that we can work on getting you better?"

"You're kidding, right?" Jeff asked, feeling his anger start to boil again. "I did what you asked, I apologized to Paul and Adam. And i'm going to follow through with this ridiculous punishment that Vince is giving me, I just came by to see how your knee was, and now I have." Jeff dropped his gaze and walked near the door, "And when I said I 'fuck you,' I meant it." with that, Jeff stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Mark in confusion.

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"What in the hell is wrong with you Hardy boys?" Mark yelled.

Matt stood up from his seat, "Mark, look, I know Jeff has problems, but he and I both have already talked and agreed that as long as he uses them responsibly, i'm gonna stay out of his face about it."

"What does that even mean, Matt? You're letting him use the drugs 'responsibly?' That's absurd, Matt. You're just giving him permission to kill himself. That's what's going to happen, Matt. I know you don't want that, so please help me."

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"Hey, ASSHOLE!"

Everyone in the catering room turned to the door to see who was shouting. As soon as everyone turned and saw that it was Jeff, they all quickly turned to Mark and then back to their food. Jeff looked through the room and then in the direction everyone else had been looking and found Mark sitting.

Mark stood up from the table and leaned down to say something.

"I'll be right back girls, behave and listen to Uncle Glen, okay?" Mark stood straight up and glanced up at Glen, who was sitting with them.

"Don't get up because of me, ASSHOLE." Jeff said, getting closer to them.

Mark walked up to Jeff and grabbed his arm, turning him around and walking back the way he had come.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jeff spat, "get your hands off of me."

"Jeff, you need to shut up, right now." Mark said, tightening his grip on Jeff's arm.

After a little struggle, Jeff was able to get his arm free and stop in his tracks.

"You need to stop talking to brother, behind my back."

When he was able to break free of Mark's grasp, a couple of the other guys around them stood up and tried to calm him down, but Mark beat them to it by grabbing Jeff's wrist.

"Shut your mouth and start walking." finally giving in, Jeff followed Mark out of the room.

"What in the hell are you thinking?" Mark yelled, pushing Jeff against the wall.

"What in the hell are _you_ thinking? You need to keep your ass away from my brother."

Mark pushed Jeff down the hall and into an empty locker room.

"Are you messed up right now?" Mark asked, holding Jeff's chin in his hand , trying to get a clear look into his eyes.

"Man, get your hands off of me before I knock you down again." Jeff threatened, pushing Mark's hand away from him. "I'm clean."

"Good. I'd rather you be an idiot than a junkie. If Vince gets wind of what happened in there, he's going to fire you on the spot."

"So what." Jeff said, "Just stay away from Matt. I don't need you guys going behind my back and trying to 'help' me."

"What did Matt tell you, Jeff?"

"It doesn't matter, just stay away from him."

"What did he say?" Jeff just stood his ground. "You know what he told me? That he hates when you use that shit. That he's afraid you're going to OD and die. He's afraid of what it's doing to your dad. That he's afraid your dad wouldn't be able to handle it if they lost you too."

"Matt and I have an understanding."

"...as long as you're responsible, right?" Mark asked, "you're hurting yourself and you're hurting them, Jeff. That what you want?"

"Look. I'm going to stop." Jeff said.

"Until your punishment is over?" Mark said, turning away from Jeff.

"What does it matter to you anyway? I thought you were ready to give up on me?"

"Maybe I think you're worth all the trouble, Jeff." Mark said, "But you acting like kid doesn't help. You need to take this serious. Don't you care what you're doing to your family?"

"Of course, I do. I'm not doing this to hurt them."

"Then stop doing it to stop hurting them."

"Just stay away from my brother, I don't need him to turn his back on me too."

"I'm not turning my back on you, Jeff, I would never do that. You think I am because you think it'll make it easier to hate me and refuse my help. I'm not going to stop trying, even if Matt is too afraid to do it, I'm not."

Jeff chuckled, trying not to believe him, "fucking liar. You're just being an asshole about all of this. I was willing to listen to you, but you went too far the other night. I don't care what you have to say anymore."

"I'm trying to help you. I thought maybe bringing up your family might make your start listening to me."

"Whatever, man."

"Jeff, you did your photo shoot already, so just go back to the hotel now, before Vince comes looking for you. I'll go do damage control for you... _again._" Mark opened the door and turned to look at Jeff again.

"Can you do me a favor?" Jeff looked at Mark, his eyebrow raised, "are you clean right now? For reals?"

"Man, I already told you alre-"

Mark raised his hands up in defense, "okay, okay. I was wondering if you could say hi to the girls, they've been asking for you."

Jeff sighed, when he walked into the room shouting, he didn't realize that Mark's girls were in there as well.

"Yeah. Bring them by." he sighed again. "Mark, I didn't know that they-"

"I'll call you before I bring them by your room." Mark said as he walked out the door, "thanks."

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"Fuck you, Matt." Jeff shouted, "you're as bad as he is!"

"Calm down, Jeff. I know you're going through withdrawals or something, but you need to calm down."

"Whatever, Matt. You know I have nothing to say to him."

"Come on, Jeff. He's always been the only one to help you through this. I wish I knew how to help you, but I don't, okay? I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just get out of my face. I'll be fine."

"Mark wants to help you, why won't you let him?"

"You don't know what he said. About mom or dad, I'm just tired of him being on my back."

"You know that I wouldn't let him talk badly about mom or dad, but he's willing to help you. He wants to be there for the agitation and depression, the yelling the fighting."

"And you don't? You don't want to help me?"

"Of course I do, but I think that maybe I might end up giving in to you when you ask for pot and eventually something stronger. And if I do, it'll only end up hurting you even more." Matt sat down next to his brother, "you screwed up big time, Jeff, and he was trying to get you to understand how important it is for you to get clean."

"Matt, i'm not going to ask for anything, I swear. I'm going to get clean, by myself, without his help. I don't need his help."

"You know he asks me all the time how you're doing?"

"So?"

"He cares about you. I can't blame him for getting angry and saying that stuff."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter because he screwed up whatever relationship we had."

Matt laughed, he knew his brother still cared about Mark, no matter what he said otherwise.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You. You're so full of it, Jeff. You know you were the one who screwed up your relationship with Mark, it wasn't him."

"Great. So you're taking his side?"

"I'm on your side, Jeff, but you know that he had nothing to do with you messing up."

"I know, but he acted like and ass and said some horrible things. I'm done with him. End of story, Matt."

"Okay, whatever you say, Jeff." Matt said. "I gotta go talk business, so i'll be back later, alright?"

"Alright. Later, man."

* * *

I'm not loving how this is coming to me. Oh well.  
Review? Thanks.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: 103 hits yesterday, but no reviews. I think I may have given up on 'angry' Jeff. I don't know yet.  
Enjoy,  
FortheloveofWrestling

_

* * *

_

_Knock._

"Damn it." Mark said, calling Jeff's cell phone again, and again getting the voicemail.

_Hey man, this is Jeff, leave me a message and i'll get back to ya'. If it's Mark, FUCK OFF!_

"Jeff, please pick up the phone. I need to talk to you. Call me back, whenever. Bye." Mark sighed and clicked his phone off.

_Knock._

"Hold on, i'm coming." Mark shouted to whoever was knocking at his door.

When he opened it, he had to pause for a moment and then finally stepped back to let Matt in.

"Mark, i'm sorry, man. I've been trying to talk to him, to get him to talk to you, but he said he's done with you." Matt said, once he had taken a seat.

"And you told him that I was still trying to find out how he's doing?"

Matt sighed, "yeah. And he doesn't seem to care."

Mark sighed as well and lowered his head to study the carpet below him, "guess I screwed up big time then, huh?"

"You went too far talking about our parents, and just for the record, I don't appreciate whatever it is you said either, but I think, he's mostly angry that he's screwed up again."

"I know, Matt, i'm sorry. I thought that maybe if I pulled a guilt trip on him, using your parents, I could at least make a dent in his head. I didn't mean anything that I said, you both know that."

"And it worked, he's been talking to my dad twice as much now." Matt smiled.

Mark chuckled, "if he knows that he's screwed up again, why is he being so stubborn about it?" he said, sitting down on the couch.

"Because you hurt him. And now he feels like he has no where to turn while he's trying to do this."

"But he does!" Mark said, getting frustrated. "He's got me, he's never lost me. I've been trying to get a hold of him, but he doesn't answer his damn phone. I'm right here."

"And that's Jeff. He screwed up. You, the only other person he thought he had wrapped around his finger, got upset and pushed him too far. Now he's going to try and do this by himself."

Mark smiled and sighed, "and now I gotta earn his trust back, but he doesn't want to talk to me."

"Keep trying though, he needs you to keep fighting for him." Matt got up from his seat and walked over to Mark to place his hand on his shoulder, "I know that it's hard with him going in and out on you, but you're the only one strong enough to keep him on the right path."

"I thought I was, but obviously not." Mark said.

"Just don't give up on him, Mark." Matt said, "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah. Thanks for coming by." Mark said, as he closed the door behind Matt.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"FUCK!" Jeff shouted.

He'd been looking for his pack of cigarettes, when he stubbed his foot on the table in his room.

He grabbed his foot and hobbled over to sit on the bed and groaned when he felt something hard underneath him as he sat.

"What the hell?" he yelled as he got up and grabbed the end of the blanket and began to thrash it around to remove whatever the object was, underneath the blankets.

When he did, he heard a muffled _crack_ as the sheets hit the bedside table, he walked around the bed and heard another _crack,_ quickly he jumped off of whatever it was. He kneeled down and unburied his laptop from the mess of sheets.

"Fucking shit, great!" he said, opening the laptop and seeing the broken screen. He stood up again threw the broken laptop to the floor where it landed with a thud.

"Hope that wasn't mine." Matt said, having entered the room as Jeff was standing up, in time to see the object being thrown to the floor.

"Don't worry, it was mine." Jeff said.

"I came back to see if you wanted to go grab a few drinks with the guys."

"No, no thanks. I..." he sighed, sitting on the corner of the bed, "I actually don't feel like drinking tonight."

"Wow. That withdrawal went by pretty quick. You're getting better at it each time." Matt joked.

"Do you know where my sticks are?"

"Uh," Matt looked around the room for a second, "no, but try your jacket."

Jeff leaned forward and grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair, after rummaging through the pockets he pulled out his cigarettes, shaking his head.

"Of course."

"So you're going to chill here or take off?"

"I'll be here."

"Alright, I'll call you later."

"Have fun."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Matt had left, Glen had stopped by to see if he wanted to go out to get some drinks, but he politely refused. Mark closed his eyes, letting his body take comfort in the bed he was in. His head was killing him, it always was when he got into long conversations with Glen, he always had an opinion about what was going on, the situation with Jeff being no different. Mark sighed as he opened his eyes and looked at the clock that sat next to the bed, it was still relatively early; he decided it wouldn't hurt to try Jeff once more. He reached over and grabbed his cell phone. He thought for a minute and then decided to send him a text instead of calling him.

He thought another moment about what to say to him.

_Hey._

That was all he could come up with, he didn't even think Jeff would reply, why bother sending a long message. He sent the text and placed his phone back on the table and turned his head so that he could see his phone. With one arm behind his head and the other across his stomach, Mark sighed and closed his eyes.

Mark could feel sleep overtaking him, when he heard the hum of his phone and quickly opened his eyes and reached for it. When he looked at it, he had a small smile on his face, but as he read the message, it faded.

_Didn't you get the message from my voicemail? Fuck off._

A few rooms down the hall, Jeff sat, staring out the window. He felt so lonely, but he didn't want to be around anyone at the moment. When he got Mark's text, his phone almost found it's place with the broken laptop, but Jeff couldn't help but reply back. Even if it was just to piss him off. he closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the chair. With his eyes closed, he could picture exactly how Mark would say his message, although it was so simple, he knew for Mark nothing was ever so simple. He'd have his lips in both a small smile and in a small pout, his eyes would beg him to forgive him for what he had said and done. Jeff hated that he could picture Mark so clearly and hated even more that it didn't take much for him to give into him.

_**M:** Well, you're talking to me... sort of._

Jeff fought back a smile.

_**J:** What do you want?_

Mark smiled, he was getting somewhere.

_**M:** You._

Jeff took a minute to reply, not knowing how.

_**J:** Whatever._

_**M:** I'm sorry, Jeff._

_**J: **Yeah, right. _

_**M: **I am._

Jeff waited another minute before replying. When Mark apologized, it was because he meant it, but it didn't change the fact that he said what he said.

_**J: **I don't want to talk about it anymore._

Mark sighed, not sure if he had actually gotten through or not.

_**M: **Okay. We won't._

_**J: **Thanks. Why aren't you down drinking with the guys, asshole?_

_**M: **Didn't feel like it._

_**J: **Oh. _

_**M: **Why aren't you?_

_**J:** Didn't want to talk to anyone._

_**M:** Only to an asshole?_

_**J:** Only because I was feeling lonely._

_**M:** But you're not alone._

_**J: **Not tonight, i've got an asshole to talk to._

_**M:** You always have an asshole to talk to._

Jeff smiled, he hated how cute he thought Mark was. Especially when he was mad at him.

**J:** Not when he's being a HUGE asshole.

**M:** Yes. Even then.

**J:** Look at the moon.

**M:** Okay. I'm looking at it.

**J:** Pretty big, huh?

**M:** Yeah.

**J:** That's how big of an asshole you are. =P

**M:** Funny, Jeff.

**J:** Really though, it's pretty amazing, don't you think?

**M:** It's beautiful.

**J:** Mhm.

**M:** The girls were excited to see you the other day.

**J:** I love your girls =]

**M:** They love you... and so do I.

Jeff decided to ignore the last part of the message.

**J:** I honestly didn't know they were in there. I wouldn't have done what I did.

**M:** I thought we weren't going to talk about that stuff.

**J:** We aren't. Not now. Maybe tomorrow?

**M:** Really?

**J:** Yeah.

**M:** Breakfast?

**J:** In your room or...?

**M:** I can behave long enough to talk.

Jeff wondered if he should wait until tomorrow to reinstate what he felt, but he decided to just get it over with.

**J:** I was serious about us being over.

Mark looked at his phone and had to take a deep breathe to keep from going over to Jeff's room and beg him for his forgiveness.

His fingers hesitated to type a response and before he got the chance his phone went off again with a new message.

**J:** I get that you're trying to help me, but you went too far and I don't care how many times you apologize. It was too much. But maybe I still need your help. Can you still be there for me?

Mark sighed as he read the message and this time his fingers didn't hesitate, but his heart did ache to agree to it.

**M:** Yes, if that's what you want.

**J:** Cool. So breakfast. Downstairs?

**M:** Sounds like a plan.

They said goodnight and gave the phones a break. Mark laid back down and wondered exactly where he'd gone and screwed things up so badly. Jeff was the one who screwed up, not him. He didn't know why the tables were being turned on him, but if Jeff was willing to accept his help, it didn't matter.

Jeff stayed seated and looked at the moon from his window. He kept asking himself if he'd done the right thing. He knew Mark was trying to help him, but what he said struck so close to home, litterally, he just couldn't handle it. He didn't want Mark to look at him and realize how pathetic he was, at least this way if he did, it'd only be as a friend, not as someone who once saw everything he could be and wound up seeing him throw it all away instead.

* * *

What do you think? Review?  
Thanks.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: **THANKS** to everyone reviewing/adding! I really appreciate it!  
-**FortheloveofWrestling**

* * *

Jeff walked into the restaurant and did a quick search for Mark. Jeff's eyes fixed on Mark, who was sitting at a booth, his head in his hand and shoulders slumped.

"Hey." Jeff said, poking Mark in the ribs.

Mark smiled and lifted his head, "hey."

Jeff smiled and asked the waitress for a glass of orange juice and turned back to Mark.

"Thanks for finally talking to me, Jeff."

"I figured if you could stand being told to fuck off 13 times, you must have something important on your mind." he smiled again as the waitress brought his drink.

"I know, at this point, it doesn't mean anything, but i'm sorry for what I said."

"It's not that I don't care," Jeff said, "I just think it's time we both realize that if after all these years we can't make it work out, it's not meant to work out."

Jeff stretched out his arms so that he could discreetly take Mark's hand in his

"We both know what we sacrificed to try and make it work, there's no point in continuing, just for it to end the like it always does."

Mark nodded his head, he didn't believe a word that Jeff said, but there was nothing he could do about it. They had problems before because they both had individual problems that they brought with them, it was different now. It could have been, if Jeff would have given him a real chance.

"I want to help you, Jeff." Mark finally said.

"Get off of this stuff?" Jeff asked, laughing, "I can handle that myself, thanks."

"No, you can't, Jeff. You and I both know how hard it was the last time you tried. And what ended up happening? You called me and said you didn't know how to stay off of that stuff."

"But that was when I really didn't want to be off of it. I do now though. I'm tired of this." Jeff slumped back against the seat and started to fiddle with the straw in his glass. "Do you know what it feels like to walk around the locker room, knowing that everyone knows how pathetic you are? Or how it feels to lose the respect of everyone around you?" Jeff straightened up and looked directly into Mark's eyes. "I lost it all, Mark. And finally, i'm starting to gain it back. I don't want to lose it again, I can't. I'm serious this time."

"I'm glad to hear you say that because I know that everyone wants you to earn back their respect. Everyone is fighting for you, you don't have to do this alone."

Jeff nodded, "I know I don't. But what if I do ask for someone's help. That means they are going to know that I haven't really stopped, i've just been lying to everyone. I'm going to end up right where I started from."

"But that's my point. Honestly Jeff, I don't know that you can do this by yourself and I know that you aren't going to want to put it out there that you're trying to get clean because people already think you are, when you start needing help, so i'm offering to be that person. Matt can try and help you, but it's hard for him to watch you go through this and if you'd just let me help you, you don't have to worry about someone finding out."

Jeff took a deep breathe and waited a minute before saying anything. Of course it had occurred to him that Matt would have a hard time dealing with it because it was easy for him to get Matt off his back about the drugs. Mark really was the only other person that he knew he could turn to without any questions; he'd be there to help him no matter what. The one thing that did worry him was the fact that he knew if he accepted Mark's offer to help him, they'd be spending a lot of time together, especially because Jeff wasn't messing around, he was serious about getting clean this time. Since he'd given up on the whole 'relationship' thing with Mark, they'd spend a max of a few days together and spend a longer time apart. That's how there were- off and on for the last year and a half. He remembered how the last time he'd been suspended, they were together all the time and it took twice as much effort to keep himself from falling for Mark's charm again.

"Alright." he finally said, resting his head on his folded arms, "but no blow jobs when I get stressed, not this time."

"You sucker punch me in the face and knock me to the ground, and now you make me sound like some dirty old man. Are you trying to destroy my ego or what? I can keep my hands to myself, I swear." Mark laughed as he raised his arms in defense.

Jeff laughed and threw a balled up napkin at him.

"Hey, do you think that maybe we can go upstairs and talk?" Jeff asked.

Mark looked at Jeff, trying to figure out if he was being set up for a joke, "yeah, we can do that."

--

After they had talked for a while in Jeff and Matt's room, Matt joining them after his shower, they three men, mostly Matt, decided that maybe it would be for the best if Jeff and Mark started to room together.

"…so that we can all be sure that everyone is doing their best to help Jeff."

"What the fuck, Matt?" Jeff said, rooming was the last thing he had thought about. He figured since they had been clear on the 'no personal relationship' thing.

"Jeff, you know that I can't handle you when you're going through withdrawal and everything." Matt said defending his suggestion.

While the two brothers argued, Mark tried his best to stay out of it. He couldn't say no because he did think it was a good idea, but if he said anything, Jeff might think that it was just a plan to get him back.

"What do you think, Mark?" Matt asked, much to Mark's dismay.

Mark stumbled on his words, not sure how to answer, "I, uh, I don't know. I mean Jeff's said that he's really serious about it this time so maybe we don't need-"

"Mark, come on, why are you backing down? We talked about this before, i'll end up giving in when he's yelling and shouting and that's not going to help anyone." Matt interrupted because he knew he couldn't have Mark play soft this time around, if anything, he needed to be harder on Jeff now more than ever.

"Yeah, I know, but..." Mark grunted and looked at Jeff, "what do you want to do?"

"Well my fucking brother doesn't trust me or give a shit about how serious I am about this, so I don't even fucking care anymore. Do whatever."

Mark flinched at those words. Nothing was ever going to change if Jeff thought that Matt didn't care about him and he definitely didn't want to hear Jeff say that he didn't care. He had to care this time or else all this arguing would be for nothing.

"First off, you need to watch your language, Jeff. For the last week i've heard nothing but swearing out of you and i'm tired of it. Second, Matt _does_ care about how serious you're taking this this time, so you need to hear him out and stop acting like no one is consulting you on the issue. And finally, we're here to help _you_, Jeff, so don't let me hear that you 'don't care anymore', got that? Don't let me hear those words come out of your mouth again." Jeff stepped a little closer to Mark, ready to say something, Mark was ready for protesting and yelling but after a moment, Jeff backed away and said nothing, "I asked you what you wanted to do, we're here to help you, so tell me what you want to do, Jeff."

Jeff was surprised at Mark's words and change of tone, a part of him wanted to lash out at them both, but he kept from doing so. He thought for a minute and then looked to his brother, "you're right, Matty. I used our relationship to get you off my back before, so maybe it is a good idea for me to stay somewhere else, at least for now. But I want you to know how serious I am, I'm not going to mess up again."

Matt sighed, "I know, Jeff. That's why I want to make sure you're in the best position to make it happen."

Jeff nodded and looked at Mark, "I'm sorry, Mark. I do care."

"Good." Mark said, "so after the weekend, when we get back, you can stay with me."

"Can't wait, roomie!" Jeff said, making the other guys laugh.

--

Mark looked at the bed on the other side of the room and laughed.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" Jeff said, extremely annoyed at Mark's snickering.

Mark moved from the bathroom doorway and took a seat on the edge of his bed, "I told you to watch the language, Jeff."

"Oh fuck! I'm fucking sorry, Mark. Son of a bitch, I didn't even fucking notice that I was swearing. Damn, you'd think that I'd notice that type of fucking shit." Jeff said, moving from the floor where he was looking under the bed, making sure to not look Mark in the face.

"Boy, that better be the withdrawal kicking in." Mark said, laying back. "What are you looking for?"

Jeff sighed and looked at Mark, "my fucking title, so either shut the hell up or help."

"You're title?" Mark asked, turning his head in Jeff's direction.

"No, Mark, John's title. Fuck man."

"Alright, you need to watch your mouth, Jeff. Don't make me have to tell you again."

"Whatever."

Mark rolled his eyes, "how did you lose it?" He got up and started to look around the room as well.

All he got was a grunt of a response.

"SHIT!" he heard Jeff yell. Mark made his way back into the bedroom.

"What?" Mark asked.

"I cut myself." Jeff said, standing up and walking to the bathroom, Mark following him.

"Here, let me see, Jeff. Stop moving."

"It hurts."

Mark looked at Jeff's hand, it was bleeding pretty bad, but the cut itself wasn't bad. He gave Jeff a washcloth.

"Squeeze that and don't move." Mark moved over to his gym bag and took out a small first-aid kit and went back into the bathroom.

"Let me see." Mark said, taking Jeff's hand and throwing the washcloth into the sink.

Mark held Jeff's hand over the sink and poured alcohol over the cut.

"What the hell?" Jeff said, pulling his hand away and holding it to his chest. "That stuff burns, geez. What's your problem?"

"Come on, Jeff. It's just a cut, it can't hurt that much."

"Yes, it does. And seeing as I won't have anything to dull the pain, I don't want it to hurt more." Jeff said, letting Mark take his hand again.

"Well in that case, I'll be careful, you big baby." Mark wrapped Jeff's hand and told him to take a seat.

"Thanks." Jeff said.

"You're welcome." Mark told him, "now, I guess I'll finish looking for your title."

Jeff smiled and took a seat to watch Mark roam around the room looking for the title, mumbling about how he could lose a huge gold title.

_Knock._

Mark looked at Jeff, "hey, you told me to sit down."

"And now you listen to me?"

Mark moved to the door and opened it to see a young man standing a bit nervously. Mark noticed the hotel logo and tried not to scare the kid as he handed Mark a piece of paper.

"Thanks," Mark said, handing the kid a bill from his pocket.

"What's that?"

"I don't know, but it's addressed to you." Mark said, handing the paper to Jeff.

Jeff opened the piece of paper and read it.

_If you ever want to see her again, you'll follow the directions._

_Vince wouldn't want to hear about this._

"What the hell?" Jeff said, passing it back to Mark.

"This rib isn't funny. I'm gonna get fired it Vince hears about this." standing up and starting to look for his phone.

"Who's writing is this?" Mark asked, a little more calm than Jeff.

"I don't know." Jeff said.

"Who are you calling?"

"Adam."

"He didn't do this." Mark said, getting up to try and calm Jeff down.

"No, but maybe he can help me. I'm going to have to go door to door looking for whoever is pulling this."

"Calm down, Jeff." Mark said, chuckling.

"What do you mean 'calm down', i'm fucking going to lose my job."

"It's just a prank, Jeff. Who ever wrote it isn't going to go tell Vince, so just take it easy. Either call Adam to see if he knows or follow the directions."

* * *

Not a big fan of this, but oh well. It's a stepping stone to the next chapter which will hopefully be better.  
**Review** anyway! **Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

AN: An update, finally! You can all thank **Ashura77**'s newest chapter to **Abyssus Abyssum Invocat?**as my inspiration for this chapter!  
So this is dedicated to **Ashura77!**

Thanks,  
**FortheloveofWrestling**

* * *

"I fucking hate blueberry pancakes now."

Adam looked at Jeff who flipped the last of three dozen he was supposed to make, "I don't know who sent this, but whoever it was they don't know that you don't know how to make pancakes"

"I don't know about that, Adam. These are pretty good." Mark said, grabbing one of the extras.

"I just want that belt back. I don't know how I let it out of my sight."

"Cool down, Jeff. After this you'll get it back."

Adam laughed. "Yeah, right after you go downstairs and humiliate yourself, it'll be all over and done."

Jeff gave Adam a scowl and then one to Mark, who started laughing too.

"Fuck you guys, man."

When Jeff had his pancakes packed up and was wearing what the letter had listed as 'appropriate', he made his way down to the lobby of the hotel to give away the pancakes.

By the time the person who sent the letter to Jeff had shown up, Jeff was almost out of pancakes and was completely embarrassed by the entire locker room snapping pictures and taking videos of him asking people if they'd like to try his mighty tasty flapjacks. The letter said that Jeff would know who the kidnapper would be, so Jeff kept a close eye and ear on everyone around him.

"...to bad he doesn't have the title on him, why would he do this without the belt?" one wrestler said to Shelton.

"Fucking Chris!" Jeff mumbled as he gave his tray of pancakes to Shelton and grabbed Chris' arm.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? This isn't funny!" Jeff yelled at him, dragging him to the elevator.

Chris laughed and tried to get his arm free of Jeff's grip, "Oh come on, Jeff. You know this is funny."

"Where the fuck is it, Chris?" Jeff yelled as they waited for the elevator doors to open.

"In my room, it's safe, don't worry." Chris said, trying to calm Jeff down.

"Shut the fuck up, Chris."

"Hey, calm the fuck down, Jeff. It was a joke, so let go of me already." Chris yelled back, yanking his arm free as they walked into the elevator.

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As the elevator was making it up to their floor, Mark and Adam had decided that Jeff had been gone too long so they were going to try and find out what had been going on. They walked towards the elevator and heard the ding of the doors opening, then saw Jeff on top of Chris, trying to punch his face into the ground. Mark rushed over and caught Jeff's fist and pulled him out of the elevator, Adam followed by helping Chris up to his feet and into the hallway.

"What the hell is your problem, Jeff?" Chris said, wiping a few drops of blood from his lip.

"Adam, will you take him to your room, please. I'll be there in a minute. After I get this one settled down." Mark asked and Adam nodded as they started walking to his room.

"No, I want by fucking property back!" Jeff yelled, trying to get out of Mark's grip.

"You'll get it back, Jeff. Right now you need to get your ass back into the room and calmed down." Mark said, loosening his grip, but making sure Jeff knew it would be dumb to try anything.

"Fuck you," was Jeff's response, not daring to try anything else.

Mark walked Jeff back to their room and slammed the door shut.

"What in the hell did you think you were doing? What happened?" Mark yelled.

Jeff sat on the couch with a scowl on his face while Mark waited for an answer.

"He made me look like an idiot, Mark! He has my belt. What if Vince got wind of what happened? I'm screwed. All Chris thought about was getting a good fucking laugh out of it."

Mark sighed and sat on the coffee table in front of Jeff, "I know this whole situation has got to be tough on you, and I know that with the withdrawal and whatever else you are and will be going through has just as much to do with the little beating you gave him, but Jeff, that's they type of stuff that's going to piss Vince off, not a little rib."

Jeff shook his head and turned away from Mark. "Fine. Brood all you want. I'm right, you're wrong. We'll leave it at that."

"Screw you, Mark." Jeff said.

Mark chuckled, "That's okay, kid. Yell and swear all you want, but I still care about you and want to see you get through this mess in one piece." With that, Mark got up and walked into the bedroom.

"I'm going to go see how Chris is doing. Make sure you didn't give him too bad of a beat down."

Jeff stood and met Mark at the door, "I'm sorry, Mark." he said.

"Yeah, well, can you do me a favor and stay put until I get back?" he asked, Jeff nodded.

"Mark, I, uh, I'm trying." Jeff said, taking Mark's hand in his. "It probably doesn't seem like it with all of my mistakes, but I am trying. Thank you for helping me." Jeff took a deep breathe and leaned to press his lips against Mark's.

For a few moments, Mark let all the feelings rush back to him and enjoy Jeff's lips against his. Once he felt Jeff's hand on his hip and slip under his shirt, he had to push himself away.

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked.

"This. We can't do this, this is a mistake, Jeff." Mark answered, looking for his room key.

Jeff snorted, "another mistake? Great."

Mark sighed and looked at Jeff, "Look Jeff, we'll talk about this when I get back okay?"

"Whatever, man. Nevermind." Jeff said, slumping back onto the couch. "I thought this is what you fucking wanted."

"Jeff..." Mark stumbled on what words to say, "it is, it's just that....fuck. I don't know."

"'It's just' Jeff made another fucking mistake. I got it. Thanks." Jeff said, playing with his cell phone, not wanting to look at Mark.

"No, that's not what I meant. We'll talk about this when I get back, okay?"

"Whatever." Jeff said, getting up and going into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

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_Knock._

"Hey, Mark. Jeff okay?" Adam asked, letting Mark into the room.

Mark chuckled, "yeah, something like that."

Adam gave Mark a weird look, and then followed him where he sat next to Chris.

"Anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Chris asked.

"How's your lip?" Mark asked.

"It's fine, Mark. What's going on?" he asked again.

Mark sighed and sat back in his chair and glanced at Adam.

"I didn't say anything. I didn't know how you wanted to handle this."

"Look Chris, Jeff's in bad shape right now. And he's a little on edge."

"Yeah, no shit." Chris said, checking his lip again. "Is he still messing with the drugs or what?"

"Yeah," Mark said, "He's been off for about a week and a half, but his withdrawal and detox is just kicking in. I believe you were the victim of his 'agitation' stage, and he pretty much lost it with you."

"Well, if I'd known, I would have never taken his belt." Chris joked. "How's Vince taking it?"

"Up the ass," Adam chimed in making the other two guys laugh.

"That'd be right," Mark added, "he's on the brink of losing his patience with the kid."

"He was ready to fire him, but Hunter was able to convince him otherwise." Adam said.

"Shit. Well, I guess I can forgive the kid. He probably thinks i'm the devil for making him look like an ass out there and maybe costing him his job." Chris said, standing up.

"No, he's mostly mad at himself, he just likes taking it out on everyone else around him." Mark joked.

"Alright, well, my lips are sealed. I'll talk to him in a few days, when he's cooled down a little. Let him know he can come to me when he's tired of you pricks." Chris said, as he made his way to the door. "I'll go get his belt."

When Chris had brought the belt back to Adam's room, the three men talked for a few more minutes and then Mark's cell phone rang with a text. He looked down at his phone and saw that it was from Jeff.

_I'm feeling really stupid here by myself, do you think you can get back here already?_

Mark sighed and said he needed to get back. They said goodbye and Mark made his way back to his own room, Jeff's title in his hands. He opened the door to the room and laid his key card on the table and then walked into the bedroom where Jeff was sitting cross legged.

Mark held up the belt, "found something."

Jeff gave him a half smile, "thanks, Mark."

"I don't want you to get upset, but I told Chris about what's going on." Mark said, handing Jeff the title, who just put it on the bedside table.

"Yeah, I figured you would." he said, looking down at his hands in his lap. "How's his lip?"

"He's fine."

"What did he say when you told him?" Jeff said, afraid of what the answer would be.

Mark took a seat on his own bed, facing Jeff, "he said he'd call you in a few days."

"He wasn't mad or anything?" Jeff said, looking at Mark.

"No. We're not mad at you, Jeff, we just want to see you get better."

Jeff nodded his head, "yeah, no more mistakes, right?"

Mark moved from where he was seated to sit on Jeff's bed.

"Jeff, when I said that, that's not what I meant." he started.

"Then what did you mean?" Jeff asked.

"I meant that _us_ doing _that _would be a mistake." Mark said, turning to look at Jeff.

Jeff shook his head, "but that's what you wanted before? You don't love me anymore or what?"

Mark immediately turned to completely face Jeff, "don't say that, Jeff, you know that's far from the truth."

"Then what?" Jeff asked.

"Weren't you the one who wanted our..." Mark chuckled because he wasn't sure what to call it, "_...relationship _to be over and done with?"

Jeff just looked at Mark and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know that this is exactly what you want, just what happened in the moment, but I'm saying it can't happen because if it were, it would just be another thing to share your attention with." Mark said, taking a breathe to figure out how he could explain without causing any more damage. "Our number one focus is to make sure you're healthy, and I don't want this to take away from what's most important."

Jeff just lowered his head in his hands.

"Jeff, if..." Mark knew what he wanted to say, but was afraid to reopen the wound, "if... this is still what you want when you're better, than we can talk about it then. But until then... maybe this isn't going to work out the way I thought it would, so maybe you and Adam should start..."

"No!" Jeff interrupted.

"Jeff, if what happened earlier _is_ what you wanted to happen or not, _I_ liked it. I miss doing that with you. I miss having you the way I used to have you. I miss knowing you love me and actually enjoy being around me and... I miss being with you like we were." Mark said, letting his head fall.

Jeff mumbled, "like before you left me for your family?"

"What was that?" Mark asked, not catching what was said.

Jeff just shook his head.

"I miss us, Jeff. And if what we had isn't hanging over you, it's hanging over me. So maybe i'm not the best person to help you this time."

"No," Jeff said again, reaching over to place his hand on Mark's knee.

"I need you, Mark. No one else, please. Don't leave me again." Jeff pleaded.

Mark put a hand over Jeff's and pulled him into a tight embrace.

_...again?_

* * *

There you go! **REVIEW**!!! **Thanks** to everyone who has reviewed and added so far!  
Oh and Chris = Chris Jericho, in case you didn't realise it. lol


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Chapter 7? DONE! Here's the finished product. Again, this is dedicated to **Ashura77**, who, once again, has inspired me to finish up my chapter and get it done.  
I hope you all enjoy this one, it took me a while to finish, but i'm pretty happy with it. Basically, i'm asking you to read and REVIEW!

Thanks,  
-FortheloveofWrestling

* * *

Mark turned on his side to look at the clock that was sitting on the bed side table.

_3:00a.m._

He closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would instantly take over, but after a few minutes had passed and it hadn't taken over, he opened them again.

_3:07a.m._ Mark sighed.

_...again? What in the world did he mean by 'again'? Not once have I ever left that kid. I've always been by his side, no matter what. Not when he had his problems before and not now. Even if he had agreed to stay with Adam, I wasn't going to just drop him off and never look back. We just wouldn't be around each other all the time. 'Again'? _Mark had to chuckle to himself. _I've never left him. _

_... except when I left him to be with my family. But I was never leaving him, I was just leaving. I always came back to him._

Mark chuckled again, this time thinking how he'd gotten himself into such a mess. Mark did leave him. He left him all the time back then.

He turned on his side to face Jeff, who was buried underneath a mountain of blankets. A small smile crept on Mark's face when Jeff began stirring at the loose strand of hair that had fallen into his face. The more he watched Jeff sleep, the more he wanted to join him and just lay with him, like he had so many times before. With a sigh, though, he turned on his back and let his eyes close once again, hoping for sleep, if only to get his mind off of Jeff for the time being.

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A few hours later, Mark awoke to the sounding alarm clock. He looked at the time, he'd only been asleep a couple of hours. He let his mind and body rest for a second and then turned to look at Jeff, who was still sound asleep.

"Jeff." Mark called, "Get up."

When he heard no response, he got up and gently shook Jeff's shoulder, "wake up."

"Hm? What?" he heard Jeff mumble.

"Come on, babe. You're going to miss your flight." Mark said, as he sat on the edge of the bed.

He heard Jeff yawn, "it's okay. I'll catch another."

"No, come on. Matt's going to be pissed if you're not there on time." Mark laughed.

"That's what he gets for sticking me with a babysitter."

"Well, the faster you get up the faster you can get rid of me."

"Just a little longer, please?" Jeff said, turning to look at Mark, with a small pout on his lips.

Mark laughed again, "fine. You sleep and i'll get your stuff together for you."

"No, you don't have to do that, Mark." Jeff said, sitting up quickly.

Mark thought for a second, "Why not? Do you have something you don't want me to know about?"

"No, I, uh... actually, you're right. Don't worry about it, i'll get my stuff together in a minute. Thanks though."

Mark quickly thought why that would make Jeff want to get up and the worst reason came to mind. He nodded with a sigh and got up to walk into the bathroom.

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"Mark?" Jeff said, knocking on the bathroom door. "You okay?"

Mark turned his head to the door, "yeah, i'll be out in a second."

He washed and dried his face and then walked out into the bedroom.

"Are you okay? You were in there for like 15 minutes." Jeff asked.

Mark looked at Jeff, "I didn't get much sleep last night, I guess i'm just a little out of it."

"Oh, well, go back to bed," Jeff said, feeling a little relieved, "i'll wake you up before I have to leave."

Mark nodded again and watched Jeff slip into the bathroom and start the shower. He contemplated looking through Jeff's bags, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. If his suspicion turned out to be true, then he wouldn't know how he would react and if he was wrong, then he'd be going through Jeff's stuff for no reason. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if he was caught, it'd destroy the thread that they were barely holding on by.

In the bathroom, Jeff stepped under the stream of water and relaxed, until his mind started to wander off to Mark in the next room.

_No, he wouldn't go through my stuff._

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"Alright. I'll call you when I get home, okay?" Jeff said and Mark nodded.

"And if you need me any other time. I was going to give you a big lecture, but lectures never seem to work with you. Just stay out of trouble, okay?" Mark said.

Jeff smiled, "don't I always?"

Mark laughed, the first time all morning. "I'm being serious, kid."

"I know, Mark. I will, I promise. I'm not going to let you down." Jeff said, walking over to Mark.

"So you were clear on the no kissing thing, but how about hugs?" Jeff asked, shuffling his feet, embarrassed to be asking.

Mark smiled, "come here, kid." Mark wrapped his arms around Jeff and Jeff did the same.

"Please, just don't do anything stupid, Jeff. If you need me, call me, anytime. No matter what. Got it?"

"Yeah." Jeff nodded.

"Okay," Mark said, "you better get going, Matt's probably waiting for you."

"Yeah." Jeff said, walking to the door. "Bye, Mark."

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The whole two days that they had off, Mark spent wondering and worrying about Jeff. He had called when they got home, like he said he would and he even called twice after that, just to see how Mark was. Mark was glad to hear from Jeff, especially after a few minutes of talking and he couldn't sense that there was any problems or that maybe Jeff was high. But after talking for a while, Mark would say something that set Jeff off. That was the one thing that was worrying him about their conversations. One minute Jeff would be fine and the next he was upset about something and becoming angry with Mark. In both calls, Jeff acted that way.

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Although Mark was worried why Jeff acted so strangely over the phone, he hoped that he'd be in a better mood now. Mark thought that maybe he was angry because he thought he had gone through his stuff that morning. If it went through his mind, then it certainly went through Jeff's mind.

"Hey kid."

"Hey." Jeff said, tucking his iPod into his pocket.

"How are you?" Mark asked.

"Not good." Jeff said.

"Why's that? What's up?"

"Don't fucking worry about it, Mark. Can we go to the hotel now?"

Mark looked at Jeff with concern, "yeah, come on. Let's go."

When they arrived to their room, Jeff shot through the door and went straight for the bathroom where he lost what little lunch he had. Mark put Jeff's bags down and went over to him.

"You weren't kidding, were you?" he said, taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub and placed his hand on Jeff's shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"My stomach feels like it's on fire." Jeff said, trying to gather himself.

"Here. Take it easy." Mark said, helping Jeff sit where he was sitting. "Here." he said, handing him a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Jeff said, trying to stand up and walk out of the bathroom.

"Can you make it? Let me help you."

"Yes, Mark. I can. Fuck, get the hell off of me. I'm not a child, I don't need you to hold my hand all the damn time." Jeff snapped.

Mark paused for a moment, having to tell himself that Jeff was just reacting to what his body was doing to him.

"Fine." Mark grabbed his jacket from the table and put it on.

"Are you leaving?" Jeff asked, already feeling bad for snapping at Mark.

"Yeah. You don't need me here." Mark said, turning back to take a quick look at Jeff before walking out the door.

"Bye." Jeff said as the door closed.

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Down at the hotel bar, Mark sat at the bar with Paul, Show and Adam, but Mark couldn't help but think about Jeff the whole time. Every few minutes he would check his phone to make sure Jeff hadn't tried to reach him. After chuckling to himself, Adam asked if maybe Mark had another group of guys waiting for him somewhere else. Everyone laughed and Mark simply shrugged away the comment. After about an hour and a half of drinking and regular bar talk, Hunter asked how Jeff was doing.

"He's been doing okay, but I think it's finally catching up to him. He's finally getting the shit out of his system. When we got here at the hotel, he started getting sick." Mark took a drink of his beer while the other three men stared at him.

"He's sick and you're here?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, I tried to help him a little, but he blew up about me holding his hand all the time so I figured he needed some space."

Adam laughed, "You know, for you being you and him being him, I can't believe you left him up there by himself."

Show nodded in agreement, "He's right, I thought for sure that when this did happen to him, you'd be right there to make sure he got through it and didn't do anything stupid."

"Hey! He's the one who wanted be out of his hair, so I gave in this once. After tonight, i'm going to go right back to being on his case about every little thing he does. It's one night, give me a break. Jeff didn't mind me leaving anyway."

"He said that?" Adam asked.

"No, but he told me to back off and didn't say anything when I left." Mark answered, trying to defend himself.

"And since when do you ever listen to what anyone says." Show asked.

"Back off, guys. Now I know how Jeff feels."

Adam shook his head and looked at Mark, "If you don't feel bad or anything, why do you keep checking your phone for him? It's probably because you're conscience is getting to you for leaving Jeff when he probably really needs you. Why would you just leave him? I thought you were better than that Mark."

Both Paul's laughed when Mark hesitated on what to say.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you're trying to get rid of me, Adam. And trying to make me feel bad for trying to get a while to myself. I spend all my time worrying about Jeff. What do you want me to do, Adam? I can't be with him 24/7. I'm doing the best that I can. What more do you want?" Mark asked, letting himself get a little more angry than he wanted to, and aiming it at Adam, who wasn't the one he was mad at.

Adam sat quiet, the other men staring at him, he wanted to say something, but feeling a little cornered by the Deadman, Adam stood up.

"I'm going to check on Jeff and then call it a night, guys." Adam said, not looking up to meet anyone's gaze.

Mark stayed seated as Adam walked out of the bar, Paul and Show both sat quiet as well.

Finally, Mark took a last drink of his beer and left the table.

Mark met Adam at the elevators, Adam stood waiting with his back to Mark.

"Adam," Mark said, reaching for his elbow to turn him towards him.

"Let go of me, Mark." Adam said, pulling his arm away.

"Look Adam, I'm sorry for snapping like that." Mark said, walking in front of Adam's view.

"Yeah, it's cool. Whatever." Adam said, thankful for the elevator doors opening.

Mark stepped in after Adam, "Come on, Adam. Don't 'whatever' me, i'm trying to apologize to you."

"It's fine, Mark. Really."

"You were right." Mark said.

"What?"

"About my conscience, you were right." Mark clarified, "I do feel bad for leaving him alone."

"Then why did you?" Adam asked as they stepped out of the elevator.

"I don't know. When he told me that he didn't need me to help him or anything, I guess maybe I took it a little personally."

"You know he didn't mean it. He's going through this and you know how he gets."

Mark nodded, "I know that. When he said it, I knew it, I just..."

Adam turned to Mark when he couldn't finish his sentence, "It hurts to hear someone you care about say things like that."

Mark smirked, "yeah, I think that's it."

"He needs you, so just be there for him. I know you're doing everything you can, we all know you're doing a lot by helping him like this. I know it's hard to see him like this and to have to be the fall-guy, so when he's better, he'll see it. For now you just have to be there for him, no matter what."

Mark nodded as he stopped in front of his room door and opened it.

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"Hey Jeff." Adam said, walking in and seeing Jeff on the couch.

"Hey! What's going on, Adam?" Jeff said, carefully getting up from the couch.

"Heard you weren't feeling too hot, how are you?" he asked, letting Jeff take a seat again.

Jeff flashed a quick scowl at Mark, who was leaning against the wall, looking down, but knowing Jeff was burning a hole through him.

"Nah, i'm doing great. What happens when you eat airline food." he joked.

Adam looked at Mark, "Well hopefully you can get over it pretty soon. I don't you claiming to be all sick or anything when I take that title away from you."

Jeff smiled, "You can try, but it's useless."

Adam laughed and stood up, "Alright, just wanted to swing by and say hi. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Adam walked towards the door with Mark right behind him. They walked out and Mark closed the door behind him slightly.

"So, am I forgiven?" Mark asked, a small pout on his face.

Adam laughed, "yes, you are."

"Really, Adam, I am sorry for talking to you like that."

"Forget about it." he said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Mark nodded and gave Adam a small hug.

"'Night." They both said.

Mark walked back into the room and found Jeff walking out of the bathroom.

"You okay?" Mark asked.

Jeff nodded.

"Are you mad at me again?"

"Why? Because you leave me here while i'm puking my guts out, then I learn it's because you're off telling everyone that i'm puking my guts out?" Jeff said, climbing into his bed.

"I'm sorry for leaving you. I just got a little upset because of wha..." Mark stopped and sighed.

"What? Upset at me? You're the one who fucking bailed on me." Jeff said, ready to jump all over Mark.

Mark shook his head, "No, It's just...I'm sorry, that's all."

Mark stood at the toe of his bed before speaking again.

"You know, first you hated me and didn't want anything to do with me, then we decided to be in this situation where half the time you hate me and the other half you're trying to fool around with me. Part of that is my fault though, I just can't seem to get over you as easily as you got over me. The fooling around part is probably just you trying to get something out of all this; I get it now, it's not genuine between us anymore. And for whatever reasons, Jeff, I know you don't really want me around and on your back about things, I'm sure part of the anger is kind of out of your control, but that's why i'm here, Jeff. You probably think that you can get through everything on your own and you're just putting up with me for Matt's sake, and that's fine. The point is that we're here together and i'm here so I can help you through this, so let's try to make it work. Okay?" Mark paused, thinking and hoping that maybe Jeff would have something to say, but when he didn't, he just continued.

"And this weekend, when you called me, I was worried that maybe something was wrong, but when you didn't say anything, I was happy that you felt comfortable to just call me because you wanted to. Then you got angry with me and upset about something for, to me, was no reason. I'm not sure what you were upset about, but if it had anything to do with you thinking I went through your stuff a couple of days ago, I want you to know that I didn't. I thought about it, but I didn't."

Jeff just looked at Mark. He wasn't quite sure what to say. He knew parts of what Mark said were wrong. He liked having Mark around and it was all the other stuff that was happening that maybe made it seem like he didn't. Other parts that Mark said were very true though, sometimes he did hate Mark. It wasn't for the reasons Mark was talking about though, it was for the reasons he couldn't bring himself to tell Mark about. He wanted to tell Mark why he reacted the way he did about his stuff that morning, but he couldn't. He didn't want to see that disappointed look on Mark's face. As much as he both loved and hated Mark, he never wanted Mark to be disappointed in him.

Mark waited for some type of response, but he never got one. Jeff just gave a small nod and laid back down, his back turned towards Mark.

Mark sighed, "alright, well, i'm going to take a quick shower, i'll leave the door unlocked in case you..." Mark paused as he grabbed his stuff from his bed, "I'll leave it unlocked."

When Jeff heard the bathroom door close, he turned around and smiled slightly. Eventually he'd have to tell Mark the truth. He didn't want to continue lying to him knowing how much Mark still cared about him.

* * *

Well, what do you think? **REVIEW** and let me know! Ch. 8 coming... soon. Hopefully?


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Okay, finally got this chapter finished. Took me forever, but here it is. Also want to remind everyone that this is slash. ;)  
Please, please, please!** REVIEW**! Even if you hate it.

Oh, and if you find mistakes, my apologies. I don't edit. I write and post. lol. Sorry.

Thanks,  
FortheloveofWrestling

* * *

The next morning, Mark woke up to the sound of the alarm beeping. He turned to Jeff's bed, but he didn't see the usual mound of blankets that Jeff slept in. He slowly got out of bed and made a quick check to make sure that Jeff wasn't in the bathroom. He walked out of the bedroom into the main room, but still found no sign of Jeff. What he did notice though was a note that was left on the table. Mark walked over to the table and read the note.

_Mark _

_Couldn't sleep so I thought I would make some good use of the time at the gym.  
If you need me, call, otherwise i'll be back later. _

_Jeff_

Mark sighed and for a second wondered if Jeff was telling the truth. He hated thinking that maybe Jeff was lying to him, so instead he let it go and thought that maybe Jeff was actually getting serious about everything.

After contemplating whether he should go back to bed and with a sigh, he called Jeff instead.

"Hello?" Jeff answered, a bit winded.  
"Hey. Have time for breakfast?" Mark asked.  
Jeff paused for a moment and then answered, "yeah, i'll be up in a few."  
"Great. Bye."

Jeff clicked off the phone and put it back in his pockets. He finished his reps and then gathered his stuff to head back to the room.

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Mark put his phone back down onto the table and couldn't help but smile. The small lecture he gave Jeff the night before, he figured, settled well with Jeff. Although he had secretly wanted Jeff to counter some of the words he spoke, he was glad that it got through to him. That's what was most important.

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During breakfast, Jeff was feeling really good and he and Mark were getting along great. No questions or suspicious looks. They were both feeling good about what had happened the night before. Although he did feel comfortable, it did still linger in Jeff's mind, though, that he was hiding something from Mark, and he _didn't_ feel comfortable about it. He wanted to tell him, but for the moment he didn't want to ruin the good time they were having.

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For the next couple of weeks, things went smoothly between the two. Jeff's body returned to a state in which it hadn't been in a quite a while- clean. Jeff was in the gym everyday, and although he didn't change much in his actual routine, he could feel his body getting stronger. With Mark's help the pain that he always felt when he wasn't using something was completely bearable now. Mark had even taught him a couple of different things he could try to relieve the pain for the times it wasn't bearable. Mark was happy to see the changes in Jeff's physical condition, but more than anything he was glad to see Jeff get much more comfortable around the other guys. Before, Jeff was always so worried about what they would think or say about him and the mistakes he'd made in the past, but now he wasn't. He was out spending time with people other than his brother and his small group of friends. When their off days came around, Mark had no worries about Jeff using again. It had taken a long time and many things lost for it to finally sink into Jeff that he couldn't get away with his mistakes, he had to own up to them and make sure they wouldn't happen again. And that's he did. Jeff had taken responsibility for his mistakes and everything was working out well. Things were so well that there were many times when Mark had wanted to remind Jeff of his feelings for him again, in hopes that maybe Jeff had changed his feelings. Every time Mark would get the courage to speak up, he would quickly back out when he started to think of how hard it would be to actually hear the words come out of Jeff's mouth that he didn't want to be with him and that they were 'just friends'.

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_Royal Rumble_

"SHIT!" Jeff shouted as he made his way through the hallway of the arena.

Jeff made his way into Mark's locker room where his friends sat waiting for him. When he walked into the room, Matt stood up, waiting for Jeff to say something. Jeff just looked up at the guys around the locker room and shook his head lightly.

"Shit, Jeff." Matt said as he walked over to Jeff and gave him a small hug. "Don't worry about it, man. Just means that Adam's going to get his ass handed to him some other time."

Jeff looked at Matt with a small, sad little smile, "yeah. It looks that way."

Mark, Jeff, Matt and Paul turned their gaze to Adam who was feeling a bit awkward. He was happy to hear he'd be getting the title again, but he knew how much it had meant to Jeff and what Jeff had done to make sure he kept it.

Jeff walked over and extended his hand to Adam, "congratulations, man."

"Thanks." Adam said a bit hesitantly, taking Jeff's hand.

"Oh, Matt. Vince wants to see you." Jeff said, turning back around to Matt.

Matt looked surprised, "he did? I guess I better go see him then. You going to be alright?"

"Yeah, i'm fine, Matt." Jeff said reassuringly.

When Matt left, Adam and Hunter left as well.

"You okay, kid?" Jeff heard Mark ask.

He turned around to grab his stuff, "yeah, Mark. I told you guys, i'm fine. Just wasn't my time to hold onto it."

"That's exactly right, Jeff. _This _time wasn't your time to keep it, but you'll get it back sooner or later."

Jeff nodded his head, trying not to look directly at Mark, "I know."

"Okay." Mark said, "I'll let you get ready. If you want to talk or anything i'll be in catering."

"Alright, i'll see you later, Mark." Jeff said, as Mark left the room.

When he heard the door close, Jeff sighed and sank down onto the bench, his head in his hands.

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After the pay-per-view, on the way back to the hotel, Jeff hardly said a word, but did say enough to make it seem as though he wasn't upset about having to drop his title. As Matt left to his room, Jeff and Mark entered theirs. Jeff walked in and threw his bag onto the couch and stomped into the bedroom. Mark then followed in behind him.

"Well, are you ready to stop pretending?" Mark asked, as he set his own stuff down.

Jeff looked over at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Stop this, Jeff. You don't have to be embarrassed or anything." Mark told him. "It's okay to be mad."

"Man, Mark. I already told you. It's no big deal. So I lost. It was going to happen sooner or later."

"Jeff, come on. This is me you're talking to. You can't hide anything from me."

Jeff chuckled, "whatever, Mark. You don't know anything about me anymore."

"So you're not mad or upset that they made you drop the title after a month and decided to do this angle with Matt?" Mark asked, wanting Jeff to be honest about it. It wasn't going to do anyone any good if he bottled it all up.

"I told you i'm fine. Adam's a good friend. I'm glad that he's on top again and i'm glad that Matt's got himself a good story for once." Jeff said, hoping Mark would just drop the subject.

"So you're happy with everyone coming out on top, except you?"

"Yeah. I'm not as self-obsessed as some are when it comes to other people's happiness." Jeff spat, getting up and in Mark's face.

"What the hell are you talking about, Jeff?" Mark asked, suddenly very confused as to where the conversation had turned.

Jeff snorted, "yeah. I figured as much." he said as he moved to grab a new shirt.

"Jeff, whether you're mad or upset or whatever, I don't want you to keep it to yourself." Mark told him..

"Fuck off, Mark. I've already told you. I don't give a shit about the title anymore. I'm happy for Adam."

Mark sighed and nodded, "okay. You win. I'll stop, but just because the past few weeks have been really great and I don't want to hurt our friendship."

_Friendship?_ Jeff thought. Mark never referred to their status as a _friendship_, it was always a _relationship _to him, even if Jeff thought otherwise. Jeff swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, pretending to wondering why it was there to begin with and changed shirts so that he could go downstairs and meet up with everyone else.

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Mark had given up on trying to get Jeff to talk, for the time being. He thought maybe if Jeff was drunk enough to talk to him, but still sober enough to remember the conversation, maybe they could get passed this quickly. When they got down to the bar, there were only a few guys there and when Jeff walked in, they all stood still for a moment, waiting to see what Jeff's initial reaction would be. When Jeff walked over and congratulated Adam with a hug, everyone quickly went back to there celebration. Jeff took a seat with some of the guys where they offered him a beer to start off with, but much to Mark's surprise he didn't take it. Mark laughed to himself, even without knowing, Jeff managed to turn the tables on him. Jeff noticed the sly smile on Mark's face and realized that Mark was probably hoping he'd get drunk tonight. He did tend to be an open book when he was completely wasted. Jeff slipped around to Mark's side of the table and placed his hand on Mark's knee, getting a small rise out of the Deadman.

Jeff laughed and then asked, "what was that little smile for?"

Mark looked down at his knee where Jeff's hand was with a brow raised and then replied, "I was hoping you'd get a little wasted."

"Yeah. I figured that, but no such luck, Taker." Jeff said in his southern drawl.  
"Well, I guess it's better that you don't drink anyway." Mark told him.  
Jeff waited a moment, giving feather-light scratches to Mark's knee, making him fidget in his seat.  
"If you aren't having too much fun later, maybe we can leave a little early? Jeff asked.  
"Yeah? We can go now, if you want?" Mark said, trying to decipher what Jeff was saying and doing.  
"No, we'll stay for a while." Jeff said as he continued his ministrations, but turned his attention to the conversation of the table.

For the rest of the time they spent at the celebration, Jeff continued to tease Mark without really making a big deal about it, which drove Mark crazy the whole time. After almost two hours, Jeff gave a knowing glance to Mark who nodded and addressed the table, letting them know that they were going to head off. A couple of guys at the table gave small chuckles as Jeff stood up and Mark followed behind him, sending a few glares to the guys at the table.

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When they got back to the hotel room, Jeff changed out of his clothes and Mark just sat on the bed waiting for Jeff to say something. Sensing that Mark was starting to get a little impatient with him, Jeff sat next to Mark and waited a minute before he spoke, trying to figure out what it was he wanted to say exactly.

"Mark, I..." he began. "I got clean and i'm staying clean, but they still fucking took the title away from me!" Jeff said, letting his anger and emotions take over. "I can't believe this. What the fuck do I have to do in order for these people to trust me and believe in me. I thought I was getting somewhere, I thought that the guys were starting to get on my side, but no. They took the title from me knowing that I went through hell and back to prove to them that I was taking this opportunity seriously. If I can't even keep the fucking thing when I'm this clean, then what difference does it make if i'm clean or not?"

"Hey, it makes a difference. To Matt and your dad. And to me." Mark interrupted.

"Bullshit!" Jeff yelled, "It doesn't mean a damn thing. I got clean and i've stayed cleaned. No pot, no nothing! And it didn't mean a thing! Vince obviously doesn't believe in me, if he did he would see how hard i'm trying."

"Jeff, it's only been a month." Mark said, trying to say something to convince Jeff that his hard work was worth it. "So they had you drop the title, big deal. You'll get it some other time. Everyone has to lose it sooner or later. It's not as if Vince is taking you out or anything, he's got you in this new story with Matt."

"Fucking great. My brother and I get to beat the shit out of each other for a few months. Great." Jeff said, now trying to cover his face and the few tears that dropped. "Then we both end up on the mid-card again. Fuck that. These guys don't respect me anymore. Losing the title was just an added embarrassment." Jeff stood up, his anger now getting the upper-hand. "Shit! I knew I shouldn't have put so much effort into this. I knew it wouldn't last. They weren't ever going to use me as a champion for very long. It was probably just an excuse to get me clean so people wouldn't blame my mistakes on the business or on Vince. How could I be so fucking stupid to believe their lies?"

"Everything you just said is complete bullshit, Jeff, and you know it! Whining isn't going to get anything back!" Mark yelled back, his own anger reaching a boiling point. "And if it was just a ploy, is it really that bad, Jeff? You got clean and healthy _and_ the title, when you could have just been fired and never given another shot at gaining back their respect. It's been a fucking month, Jeff. You can't expect everyone to forgive and forget so soon. You're healthier now, now is your opportunity to show everyone that you deserve it more than ever."

Jeff stood there still. He was shocked at how quickly Mark's temper had changed. The voice of reason, once again, Jeff knew what he was saying was true. There wasn't anything he could other than going out and making sure that everyone knew that _that_ old Jeff was dead and gone. He had to make the best of everything and show everyone what he knew was true. That he deserved to be the champion. He could hold the responsibility and not screw up.

Jeff chuckled to himself, "how the fuck do you always now what to say to get my head out of my ass?"

"You've given me plenty of times for practice." Mark answered, settling down.

"Yeah, I guess I have." Jeff said. "I'm sorry to act so childish, but it's hard working so much for something and then just having it ripped from you. I thought this was it, my time in the spotlight. I've worked too hard to get clean this time, and I wouldn't do anything to mess that up, but it did cross my mind. Shit, and that kind of scares me for a whole other reason." Jeff laughed.

"Well, you know that this isn't worth screwing up again and messing yourself up, so that's half the battle. And you know if you do feel like it is that bad, you can talk to me or Matt or any of your friends." Mark said, sitting on the bed again.

"I know."

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After having talked for another hour, Mark and Jeff decided to continue their conversation in the morning. As Mark was settling into his bed, Jeff sat on his and looked at him.

"Hey Mark?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Mark answered, his eyes already closed.

Jeff smiled to himself, "do you think, maybe I could join you?"

Mark lifted his head and raised an eyebrow to Jeff, "what?"

"Come on, man. It's cold and I just lost my belt." Jeff told him.

"That isn't going to work for very long, you know?" Mark told him with a sigh, "hurry up and turn out the light."

With a leap, Jeff landed next to Mark and threw the blanket over himself, making Mark grin, of course he wasn't going to refuse him. Although Jeff had his mind going every which way the whole day, he didn't mind one bit sharing the bed with him. After a couple of minutes of Jeff trying to find a comfortable position, he finally settled down, coiled up close to Mark, with Mark's arm acting as his pillow.

"There?" Mark asked playfully.

"Yes, sorry." Jeff replied.

"Good, goodnight."

"'Night, Mark."

"Mark?" Jeff asked a minute later.

"What is it, Jeff?" Mark asked.

Jeff paused for a moment, "do you think that i'll really get people's respect back? Hunter hasn't really talked to me since I told him what happened."

"Of course I do, and you will. Just give it time. And Paul's just busy with being the bosses son-in-law. Don't worry about him." Mark told him.

After another minute, Jeff continued, "Mark?"

"Go to sleep, Jeff." Mark said, turning to lay facing Jeff.

"Thanks for everything." Jeff said, grabbing Mark's hand in his.

Mark smiled, "you're welcome." and gently pressed his lips to Jeff's and then pulled away hoping he hadn't made a mistake.

When Jeff hadn't moved or said anything, Mark worried.

"Jeff?" he asked, but was silenced when Jeff smashed his lips against Mark's.

Jeff hadn't wanted it to be so forceful, but he couldn't hold himself back. Jeff pushed his tongue past Mark's lips and deepened the kiss. He let his mouth roam what he was so familiar with. Mark too let his mouth do the same, within a few moments, they were both fighting for dominance. Jeff, being the daredevil, wanted to know how far Mark wanted the moment to go so he reached down with one hand and grabbed the front of Mark's shorts. Jeff rubbed his palm against Mark, and then pulled away from Mark's mouth, allowing him to let out an almost silent moan.

When, instead of stopping or moving Jeff's hand, Jeff felt Mark's start to roam his lower body, Jeff slipped his hand underneath the waistband of Mark's shorts. Jeff heard another moan when he wrapped his hand around Mark's stiff cock. Mark fumbled his hand across Jeff's own hardening member, causing Jeff to buck his hips slightly. Jeff stopped his motions on Mark and moved so that he could sit up and straddle Mark's legs. Mark sat up as well and grabbed the back on Jeff's neck and locked their lips together again. Just as Mark's mouth was making it's way to Jeff's neck, Jeff pulled away and pulled down Mark's shorts, with Mark helping along the way. Jeff scooted backwards a little and wrapped his hand around the base of Mark again and gave a few pumps as his mouth made it's way around his shaft. He let his mouth completely cover Mark and used his hand to tease the rest of him. Mark closed his eyes, the feeling of Jeff's mouth around him bringing him so close. Jeff worked his mouth and tongue in ways that drove Mark crazy. Soon, feeling himself, near the edge, he placed his hand on Jeff's head and followed the motions he made. Through half closed eyes, Mark saw Jeff's hands move from his cock to Jeff's. He could feel how relieved Jeff was at this action when he felt Jeff's moan around his cock.

Mark pulled slightly at Jeff's hair, "wait." he said. Jeff pulled away, making Mark moan at the loss. "Not like this," Mark told him. With a smile across his face, Jeff rid himself of his own shorts and moved up Mark's body.

Mark quickly flipped them around and reached behind him to cup Jeff's cock as he smashed his lips to Jeff's. As Jeff moaned, Mark slipped his tongue into Jeff's mouth and then moved to his neck and shoulders. His hand had a slight grip on Jeff, which wasn't nearly enough, as Jeff began to buck up into Mark's hand as his own moans filled the darkness around them. Jeff lifted his legs and wrapped them around Mark's waist where he continued to buck up, now into Mark's cock. "Go" Mark barely heard Jeff whisper. "Wait, we need-" Mark started, but was cut off by Jeff reaching forward and stroking him. "No, I need you now," Jeff said. "No, I don't want to hurt you." Mark said, in between moans, "Just wait a second." Jeff couldn't wait any longer, he grabbed Mark's hand and sucked on his finger while he continued to stroke him. "There," he said. "Shit," was all Mark could say, now he was the one bucking into Jeff's hand. He was so close and could barely hold on. He reached down and started to prepare Jeff as well as he could. "Oh fuck," Jeff yelled. "Shit, that fucking feels great." Mark chuckled to himself at hearing the words Jeff spoke in this state of condition. "Shit, come on," Jeff moaned.

With a bit of hesitation, Mark removed his fingers and placed the tip of his cock at Jeff's entrance and leaned forward to take Jeff's lips once more as he slid inside of him in one swift motion. "Oh shit," Jeff grunted, shutting his eyes. "You okay?" Mark asked concerned, "mhm" was his reply. "Jeff, baby, look at me," Mark said, forcing his hips to stay still. Jeff opened his eyes just as Mark covered his mouth with his own. Jeff wrapped his arms Mark's back and pushed his tongue into Mark's mouth and soon he was moving his hips, trying to get Mark to move. Taking it as a sign, Mark started to move in and out of Jeff's body, letting his hips take over. "Mark, fuck. Harder," Jeff said. Mark wasted no time in trying to bring relief to them both, his thrusts came quicker and harder as he wrapped his hand around Jeff's dripping cock. He moved his hand in time with his thrusts as Jeff clawed at Mark's back, arching up into his hand and hips. Their moans and the sounds of their bodies connecting rang throughout the room. Soon, Jeff's moans quieted and his eyes closed, a sign Mark knew meant that he was close to coming. He quickened his pace even more and moved so that he could angle himself better. He hit Jeff's spot and within seconds, had him spilling in his hand. He continued to pump Jeff's cock and his muscles tightened around Mark's and drove him to the brink. "Shit, Jeff. Fuck. Jeff," Mark grunted as he released himself into Jeff. His movements slowed until they were both completely spent and he collapsed onto Jeff's body.

After a few moments, he pulled out and rolled onto the bed and off of Jeff. "You okay, Jeff?"

Mark asked. "Hm. Fucking great." Jeff said, turning to face Mark. Mark chuckled and pulled Jeff closed to him and planted a tender kiss to Jeff's lips, Jeff returning the tenderness until he pulled away for a breath of air. He smiled and looked at Mark, "Even if I act like I don't, I do love you, Mark. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. You're too important to me." Mark smiled, "good. I love you too, Jeff. No matter what."

As Jeff drifted off to sleep next to Mark, Mark sighed inwardly, wondering if what had just happened and what Jeff had just told him, meant that this was just an 'in the moment' thing that happened. With another sigh, he wrapped his arm around Jeff and left his mind worry himself into sleep.

* * *

_What do you think? Enjoy it? Hate it? **REVIEW** and let me know._

Also, I had to jump forward because i'm way behind! Sorry about that. Okay, go REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Ugh! I'm like the worst Fan-Fictioner EVER.  
This story is SO much harder than I thought it would be. This is just something to tide you over until I can get this chapter done.  
I'm so sorry for being so horrible. This 'chapter' is nothing important, just something to let you know where i'm going with it.

* * *

A couple of months went by and Mark and Jeff hadn't really spoken about the night they shared after Jeff had lost the title. There were times when one of them would say something or do something that would make the night reply in their mind, but neither one of them dared speak a word of what had happened. Mark choked it up to it being 'goodbye' sex. Although he tried to be callous about the situation and pretend that it didn't weigh heavy on his mind constantly, he didn't want to say anything to Jeff about it. If Jeff hadn't said something about it already, than that's all it was- sex. No feelings attached. No matter how they felt in those moments or the feelings they vocalized, the subject felt taboo.

Jeff often thought about the night too. He hadn't planned on what happened to happen. He was angry and upset about having to give up the title he'd worked so hard to earn and sleeping with Mark was not at the top of his mind. When he wasn't with Mark, he thought about him, but he simply thought it was because they shared so much history. Of course they were once friends, then lovers then nothing but memories to one another. When neither one of them could handle being apart, they became friends again, then lovers once more. And like before, circumstances and situations made it so that it was too hurtful to stay so close. When Mark had asked for Jeff's forgiveness, Jeff couldn't refuse it to him, but he was determined to not let history repeat itself. They could be friends, but nothing more. Neither he or Mark could ever completely understand how harmful they were to one another, but it never seemed to matter in the moments of passion that led back to the renewal of their relationship.

They were both stuck in the space where they didn't want to continue hurting each other, but didn't know how to completely let go of each other. Mark wasn't ready too, but knew he couldn't do anything about his feelings because it would mean that Jeff's health would end up taking a backseat; and Jeff was set on not getting hurt again, at all costs he was going to make sure that he wouldn't let Mark hurt him again, even if it meant he'd be hurting himself and Mark in the process.

So, for the time, they we're friends. Jeff's health was 100% better than it had been in years and Mark was learning to focus his attention on being what he thought he never was: being a real, true friend to Jeff because it was what Jeff needed him to be.

* * *

I know, I know.  
I'm getting to work on the ending of this next chapter.  
Bear with me!


	10. Chapter 10

AN: FTW! THE UNDERTAKER vs. SHAWN MICHAELS = One of the GREATEST MATCHES EVER. 17-0, baby!  
New chapter. Short, I know. Sorry.

Thanks,  
FortheLoveofWrestling

* * *

"Fucking shit!" Jeff shouted into the almost empty parking lot of the arena they were at. Mark, who was waiting in their rental car, with his window down, couldn't help but chuckle at how Jeff acted.

"Didn't they think they were going to cause some problems between me and Matt?"

Mark followed Jeff with his eyes, as Jeff came around the car and opened up the door. Since the storyline started, Jeff and Matt had been having constant arguments and fights, mostly over trivial things, and it was driving Jeff insane.

"That's probably what they liked best about the story." Mark said.

"This isn't fucking funny, Mark." Jeff said, sitting down next to Mark.

Mark smiled, knowing that his comment would get Jeff riled up. "I know, but it's just a storyline. You guys should just relax about it all. Get over it."

"You're no fucking help, you know that. What happened to trying to help me be better?" Jeff said, as Mark pulled out onto the street, chuckling as he did so.  
"Nothing but a big fucking joke to you, right? He's my brother and I don't like fighting with him all the time." Jeff said, pouting and turning his attention to the buildings passing by through his window.

"Oh, come on, Jeff. Don't act like that. I'm just messing with you." Mark said, putting his hand on Jeff's knee, only to be pushed away. Trying to keep his eyes on the road and looking at Jeff, he gave an amused sigh. "I was just kidding around, i'm sorry."

Jeff kept his attention on the outside and Mark focused his on the road, with an occasional glance to Jeff, hoping he wasn't taking his jokes too seriously.

The rest of their ride was in silence. Jeff had stopped pouting, but was still trying to ignore Mark as best as he could. When they finally drove up to the hotel, Jeff turned to Mark and smiled slightly.

"Why are you such an ass?" he joked, playfully pushing him.  
"Hey! Trying to get us into an accident here?" Mark laughed, "and by the way, i'm not an ass, you're just a big baby."  
"Am not!" Jeff shot back at him.

With the tension lifted, Mark and Jeff fell into a comfortable silence, as people who shared so much history often do.

Parked and on their way inside the hotel Jeff broke the silence.

"Do you think some of that stuff that Matt's been talking about is true? From the promos and stuff, I mean."  
"Jeff, come on, don't be ridiculous." Mark answered.  
Jeff picked up his pace to match Mark's long strides, "I'm serious, man. Do you think that maybe he's serious?"  
"No, I don't. It's just the story getting to you Jeff, don't stress so much about it. Once it's over, you guys will be back to being Hardy Boys." Mark stopped in front of the hotel door, "Alright?"  
Jeff sighed and walked into the hotel, "whatever."

With a smirk, Mark followed him and once they were checked in and had left their stuff in their room, a lot of the guys met down at the bar for a few drinks before the drive to the next city in the morning.

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"Hey bro!" Jeff yelled to Matt who was getting ready to sit with a few guys.  
Matt turned his head to see his multi-colored haired brother coming towards him, "Hey Jeffro!"  
"What's going on? I thought we were going to hang out and get wasted tonight?" Jeff asked as he acknowledged the other guys at the table.

"Mark's giving you permission?" Matt asked teasingly.  
"Funny Matt. Come on." Jeff said, remembering Mark's words earlier.

Matt stepped away from the table and pulled Jeff aside, "Bro, I know I said we'd hang out, but I'm going to chill over here tonight, alright?"

"Well then I'll join you guys, no big deal." Jeff said.  
Matt looked over at Mark and all the other guys who had already started their night, "It's cool, Jeff. We'll hang out tomorrow, for sure. I don't want to take you away from Mark and all the other big dogs over there."  
"What the hell does that mean, Matt?" Jeff asked, getting a little annoyed.  
"Calm down, Jeff." Matt said, "We'll hang out tomorrow. I promise. Tell Hunter to take the company jet and I'll take his seat in the carpool tomorrow."  
"Man, fuck off, Matt. I don't need your pity time, man." Jeff said, getting angry

Jeff pushed passed Matt and went over to the table with Mark, took his drink from his hand and downed it.

"Boy, you better plan on doing something to repay me for that." Mark said laughing, the others at the table doing the same.  
Jeff winked and said, "What do you want me to do?"  
Mark paused for a moment, wondering what the sudden change in attitude then gave him a small smile and quickly changed the subject of the table's conversation.

After a short night of drinking and the subtleties of Jeff, Mark decided they all call it a night and get some rest before having to leave the next morning.

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When they got into their room, Mark turned around to face Jeff.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asked.  
Jeff, not nearly as drunk as he was hoping he would be pushed Mark back and walked past him. "What the fuck are you talking about Mark? How i'm a grown man who can't have more than what his babysitter thinks is enough to drink?"  
"What were you planning on doing?" Mark asked again.  
Jeff sighed as he laid on his bed, "getting shit faced, that's what."  
Mark stood at the door way to the bedroom, "and what? Showing up to the show with a hang over? Vince still hasn't forgotten what happened, you know? You can't just go back into your old ways."

"Don't you think I fucking know that, Mark? Shit, the whole fucking world knows, man!" Jeff yelled, getting up from his bed and walking over to the table where his stuff was sitting. "The whole world knows what a screw up I am, Mark. I know Vince hasn't forgotten, you haven't forgotten, Hunter hasn't, no one has. Matt goes out there every fucking show and cuts a fucking promo about how his brother needs him because his brother can't get his head out of his ass and get his shit together. I have you and all the other guys asking me how i'm feeling and checking on me like i'm some little kid. No, Mark, I know no one has forgotten about what happened, no one has and neither have I, so just get the fuck off my back. For one day, Mark. Just one."

"You're right, Jeff. I haven't forgotten and neither has anyone else. Do you know why that is?" Mark asked Jeff.  
"No, Mark... enlighten me, please." Jeff said, slumping down into a seat.

"Because it's hard to forget when your brother, or your friend or someone who is so close to you gets high and does stupid stuff that's not only putting himself in danger, but other people as well. It's tough to see that person so fucking high he can't remember his family or friends." Mark paused and walked over to the bed and sat on the corner, "that's tough, but the hard part is watching that person coming down from that high. When that person is knocked out after coming down and you're sitting there wondering and checking to make sure he's still breathing, if you should take them to the hospital just to make sure everything is okay. It's hard to see that person shivering, shaking and sweating. Or when that person is hating themselves for doing it again after saying they'd stop." Mark finished, sighing and resting his forearms on his knees.

"But i'm not like that anymore!" Jeff shouted. He knew what his actions did to everyone else around him, but he hated hearing them out loud. "I don't do that shit anymore, okay? But for the record, you knew when it got too tough you could have always left and gone home to your family."  
"My family? What the hell does that have to do anything? I'm not blaming you, I wanted to be there for you when you needed me." Mark asked Jeff as Jeff grabbed his coat. "Where are you going?"  
"Maybe that's not when I needed you?" Jeff said, "I'll be back later."  
"Jeff, wait." Mark said, getting up to stop Jeff but he had already walked out.

* * *

Review? Haha, you may have to reread some of the earlier chapters if this one seems a bit random.  
THANKS!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Finally. Another chapter posted. It's nothing special. Just thought I'd put this in here before I lost all of the people who were interested in the story. lol.  
Also, wanted to plug this site: It's like myspace for wrestling fans. It's wonderful. JOIN!

Thanks,  
FortheLoveofWrestling

* * *

After about two and a half hours, after Mark had woken up Matt, Adam and a couple of other guys looking for Jeff, Jeff strolled into the room. Trying to keep the noise down, he figured that Mark had fallen asleep already. He was surprised when he heard two sighs coming from the bedroom and saw that Mark and Matt were getting up from their seats.

"Fuck, Mark. You had to get Matt involved?" Jeff said, deciding that playing the victim would be his best bet in the situation.  
Matt pulled Jeff into a hug, glad to see his brother was okay before he let his anger and disappointment settle in, "You had us worried, Mark was right to call me looking for you."  
"Are you alright, Jeff?" Mark asked, knowing he shouldn't feel guilty for 'ratting' Jeff out to his brother, but still trying to keep the base in his voice and not let his concern show.  
"I'm fine," Jeff said, "I just needed to clear my head."  
"Jeff, I don't care what you had to do, you're drunk, you don't have your cell phone and didn't let anyone know where you were going." Matt said, letting his true concern show in his voice and facial expressions.  
Jeff picked up on Matt's concern as well as the concern and guilt that Mark was desperately trying to hide. "I know, Matty, I'm sorry." Jeff wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder, "I'm fine though, I promise. Go and get some sleep now, I'm sorry for worrying you."  
Matt took a moment to read Jeff's face, once he decided that Jeff was okay for the moment, he nodded his head in agreement. "Get some sleep, out flight is at 11 a.m., okay?" Jeff nodded, Matt turned to Mark who was now sitting on the bed, head in his hands. "Mark, you good?"  
"Yeah, I'm good. Thanks Matt." Mark said, sitting up and walking Matt the short distance to the door.

Once Matt left, Jeff simply looked at Mark and said "sorry."  
"You sure you're okay?" Mark asked, silently asking for Jeff to talk to him.  
"Fine." Jeff said, not ready to give into Mark's pleading eyes.  
Mark took a deep breathe, "okay, get some rest then."

After a quick change in the bathroom, Jeff emerged and found Mark sitting in the large sofa seat at the far end of the room.

"'Night." Jeff said, suddenly feeling a little awkward with Mark's eyes following his every move.  
Mark picked up the book in his lap and started reading.  
After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling and the occasional glance towards Mark, Jeff spoke "aren't you going to sleep?"  
"No, I'm a little wound up after tonight. Is the light bothering you?" Mark asked, letting his book drop into his lap to look at Jeff.  
"No, you're fine. I was just," Jeff fumbled with his words, "wondering."  
Mark nodded his head, "goodnight."

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At nine in the morning, Jeff woke up to the alarm going off. He unburied himself from the mountain of blankets and looked at the time and groaned.

"Better get up before Matt comes in to wake you up." Jeff heard Mark say from his bed.  
Jeff looked up at him, "Have you slept?"  
"No," Mark said turning his head back to the television.  
"Shit, you sure are laying the guilt on thick these days." Jeff said, sitting up.  
"This isn't a guilt trip, Jeff." Mark said, opening his mouth to say more, but was cut off.  
"Yeah, whatever, man." He heard Jeff mumble as he walked past him and into the bathroom.

Mark sighed as he heard the shower running. The whole night he couldn't help but think about the argument they had had before Jeff ran out. He couldn't figure out why Jeff would make a point to point out his family. The whole night he spent going over all their arguments that he could remember. After thinking about them, Jeff always had something to say about his family. Jeff always made a point to say something about how he could have left to be with his family or that Mark would never understand him and why he did the things he did because Jeff wasn't his family. Mark had never thought about how important all that could have meant. To him, Jeff was his family. He knew he cared about Jeff and he thought that Jeff knew that. Mark wondered why his family was so important to Jeff. Why would Jeff care so much about them? He obviously cared enough to bring it up whenever he was emotional, most of that time was when they would argue and fight. It had crossed Mark's mind that maybe Jeff still felt something for him, but like everything else that told him that, he brushed it aside and came up with something else to explain it.

Just as Mark had turned off the television, Jeff came out from the bathroom. The whole morning, Jeff had barely spoken to Mark, although he wasn't completely sure why. Jeff knew that he wasn't all that angry anymore. The argument they'd had the night before was no different that the argument that they've had in the past. He had yelled, he had stormed off, Mark and Matt were left to worry about him, he came back after venting and all was forgiven the next morning. Inwardly, Jeff smiled at the thought that Mark was at least trying to work things back into what they call 'normal.' Mark was always quick to forgive him for all the stupid things he did. Jeff wasn't mad or upset over anything that happened anymore, now he was just being a brat for the sake of being a brat. If he was being honest, Jeff was glad that Mark still felt so much concern for him, but from the way Mark was acting, he could tell that something was bothering him still and it wasn't about their fight. He knew Mark better than anyone else and could tell every emotion and feeling that Mark had, whether he showed it or not- Jeff always knew. This time, he knew something was bothering him, but he couldn't figure out what. Jeff wondered what else could be bothering him, but he still wasn't ready to let his own guard down, part of him still wanted to play the part just so that Mark would catch on and they could return to their normal, albeit, strange and awkward relationship.

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Jeff had his suitcase all packed and his backpack on while he waited for Matt to come over so that they could head to the airport.

"Hey, Jeff?" Mark asked, breaking Jeff's concentration on the music playing in his ears.  
"Yeah?" Jeff answered, still hoping Mark would snap out of the funk he'd been in.  
Mark walked over to Jeff's bed and motioned for him to stand up, "come here."

Jeff took his headphones off and stepped in front of Mark who pulled him into a very familiar embrace. Jeff sighed to himself and reciprocated the gesture. He was thankful that Mark seemed to be more relaxed and was getting back to normal.

"Look Jeff, whatever it was that I said to set you off, I'm sorry," Mark said as he pulled away from Jeff, "I know that you're trying hard to beat all of this. I'm only protected of you and your every move because I care about you. We're all like this because we care about you."  
"Mark, don't worry about it. I know why you guys do it, it's just that it gets to be a little more pressure than I can take sometimes." Jeff told him, not looking at him, but holding his hand in his.  
"There's still something I wanted to talk to you about, but it can wait." Mark said. "We've got a busy week when we get back, you need to be here 100%, but after, alright?"  
"Yeah, you got it, Mark. And I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't mean to make you worry so much."  
Mark chuckled to himself, still, after all of his trying, the kid could still see right through his facade. "I wasn't worried. Just couldn't sleep is all."  
With a smile, Jeff nodded his head, "yeah, whatever you say old man."

* * *

So is any of this sound familar? Yeah, it did to me too. My Muses (Musi?) are stuck on rerun. I promise something a little more orignal in the next part.  
Sorry for the horrible work. _Review?_


	12. Chapter 12

"HOLY SHIT!"

The crowd of wrestlers, Divas and other WWE staff gathered around the television all held their breathe for a moment as The Undertaker started to stir around after diving over the top rope and landing with a hard thud.

Jeff bit down onto his lip and tried to control the urge to get up and go check on him. The crowd of people watched as a couple of men came back through the hallway after checking on Mark. With eyes glued to him, the man made his way closer to the group and spoke up.

"He's fine," as soon as the words left his mouth, the group all let out a breath none of them knew they were holding. "the medic says he'll have to check him again after the match, but it didn't look like there was anything wrong."

Jeff turned to Matt, "should they really be taking a chance? That was a nasty bump."

"They know what they're checking for, Jeff. And Mark would be able to tell if something was wrong." Matt reassured his brother.

After nodding and continuing to bite down on his lip, Jeff and Matt turned back to the screen and continued to watch the match.

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"Amazing!" said Adam, speaking what everyone else was thinking.

"I can't believe they pulled off a match like that, especially after that sick bump that Taker took." Phil added.

Randy uttered, "what's the point of going on after that? They nailed it."

"I'm glad I wasn't the main event this time around. You guys are going to get an ear full if you're not up to the bar they just raised." Jericho pointed out, laughing.

Randy, Paul, John and Adam laughed and nodded in agreement.

While everyone talked about what a great match Shawn and Mark had given, Jeff jogged over to the where Mark and Shawn would soon be coming through. Shawn came through the door first.

"Hey. You okay?" Jeff asked. Shawn was breathing heavy and just nodded his answer. "That was a some match, Shawn. You guys did great."

"Thanks, Jeff." Shawn leaned against the wall, "he said he was fine. I believe him. He's not dumb enough to continue if he wasn't." A couple of the medics ushered Shawn through the hall where they could check on him.

Jeff waited another couple of minutes before Mark stumbled through the entrance.

"Mark!" Jeff rushed to his side and helped him.

Mark took a deep breath and held up his hands telling the waiting medics to wait a minute, "was it a good match?" he asked.

Jeff shook his head, "Mark, come on, you need to get checked out. That dive was crazy."

"I will. I will. But was it a good match?" he asked again.

"Yes. It was amazing." Jeff answered.

Mark nodded his head and looked over at the medics again. "Great."

The medics helped him into the same room they took Shawn to. Jeff followed behind them and waited outside the door while the two men were looked at.

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"Shawn." Mark said when he entered the room, giving him a slight smile.

Shawn laughed, "Mark, you must be the luckiest man on earth today, you know that?"

This time, Mark laughed, "yeah, I think so." Mark winced as the medic rotated his neck. "Sounds like we put on one hell of a match."

"Yeah, seems like it." Shawn looked at his friend as he hopped off of the table he was on, "you going to be alright?"

Mark smirked, "I just defeated Mr. Wrestlemania, i'm feeling pretty good."

"I'm serious, Mark." Shawn said.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." Mark answered him.

Shawn hugged his friend and walked out of the room; startled when Jeff sprang up in front of him.

"He'll be out soon, kid." Shawn said he patted Jeff on the back and walked towards his dressing room.

After almost ten grueling minutes, Jeff felt someone ruffling his hair. He looked up and smiled at seeing Mark staring back at him.

"Finally. Are you going to be okay?" he said noticing the tape around his ribs.

"I told you, kid, I'll be fine, alright? Now quit asking me that and help me get to my locker room, will you?" Jeff sighed and let Mark lean some of his weight against him so that they could walk to his room.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Wrestlemania weekend officially behind them, Mark and Jeff collapsed onto their beds and quickly passed out from exhaustion. Everyone was tired after the huge show and although they all had a great time at the mandatory after party, all anyone wanted to do was sleep.

Jeff woke up at noon the next morning, thankful that he wasn't going to be needed for Raw. He looked over at the other bed and saw Mark was still sleeping. He quietly got up and headed for the bathroom for a more-than needed soak.

After twenty minutes Jeff finally climbed out and dressed himself. He quietly opened the door and walked out to see Mark sitting up in his bed, head tilted back and resting against the backboard.

"About time, I was ready to call a lifeguard to pull you out of there." Mark said, spooking Jeff as he was walking to his suitcase.

"You should have just hollered, I would have cut it short if you needed in." Jeff said.

Mark cracked his eyes open to see Jeff plopping back down on his bed, "No, i'm sure you needed it after that match last night."

"Ha! If anyone needed a soak after their match, it's you." Jeff replied. "How are you feeling?"

Mark huffed at the question, "like I almost broke my neck diving out of the ring."

"Yeah, that was pretty scary."

Mark looked away from Jeff and just nodded.

"I'm serious Mark. Scared the shit out of all of us. I about ran out there myself. What were you thinking?" Mark turned back to Jeff to respond, but Jeff just continued. "I know it's something you can do perfectly a million times and get it wrong that next time, but Mark, let's be serious about this, you're not.... maybe before you could do this, but... I don't know, Mark. Just promise you won't do it again. We were all a wreck watching you." Jeff hadn't realized that his voice was much louder than he intended it to be.

He couldn't help but be angry and upset over what had happened. Of course it wasn't Mark's fault. It was an accident, but to Jeff, he had no business going out there and wrestling like he was twenty years old.

"I'm not, what? Maybe before, what? What do you mean, Jeff? I'm not as young or as good as I once was? I scared you. I scared you and all the guys in the back?" Mark asked, his own voice rising. Mark shook his head at thinking how absurd it was for Jeff, Jeff, of all people, to tell him how to be safe in the ring. "I know what happened out there could have been really serious. The first thing I thought about when I landed was how worried my kids and my family were going to be. I knew I was okay, but I know how bad it could have been. You, of all people, don't need to tell me how to be safe in the ring and know the limits of my body."

At the mention of his family, Mark saw the flash of both sadness and anger in Jeff's eyes.

"Mark, that isn't what I meant. I just don't think that you should be trying to do stunts like that anymore. Who do you have anything to prove to? No one." Jeff pointed out, standing up to loom over Mark.

Mark straightened up and stood to meet Jeff, "I know i'm not a young buck anymore. I know I don't move around like I used to. You don't need to tell me that. I know how old I am. I know what my body can do." Mark took a step forward, causing Jeff to take a step back. "I need to prove to myself that I can still do it. Shawn and I needed to prove, not just to the boys in the back, but to ourselves, that we still had it in us to put on a great match."

"And you did, Mark. Congratulations. You had a fantastic match. Maybe next time you can be a little less selfish and stop worrying about how you look compared to the other guys, and worry more about what you're putting your family through. Maybe you should think of them instead of yourself and your career." Jeff spat. His anger boiling over more than he realized.

Mark's brows furrowed in anger, confusion and hurt.

"How dare you imply that I'm not thinking of my family each and every time I go out there." Mark said, pushing past Jeff to his bag sitting on the table, pulling clothes out.

Jeff walked up to Mark and forced him around to meet his glare, pretending to not notice the flinch Mark made as his still-sore body was turned around by the smaller man.

"After I sat there during your match, after that bump, worried sick that you were hurt more than you were actually letting on, how dare you throw your family in my face like that." Jeff punctuated all of his emotions with a hard slap to Mark's face.

* * *

_Okay, it's been FOREVER since i've updated this story, i'm really sorry. I got a message from Slashdlite asking me about this story and if I was going to continue it. Well, it served as an inspiration to finish up another chapter. THANK YOU! I really hope you enjoy this update and I really hope to hear from you all via REVIEWS! Let me know what you think, I wanna hear! Still not totally sure where I'm going with this, but I'm sure it'll come to me sooner or (hopefully not too much) later. _

_Also, I was thinking of writing a one shot with possibly, my all-time favorite pairing: Taker and Edge. Mhm. I said it. Rated R.I.P.! Also, if you know of any Taker/Swagger(never done, I don't think), Taker/Orton, Taker/Edge fics, please let me know! =]_

_Alright, that's enough from me. Now go REVIEW! Thanks!_

-FortheLoveofWrestling


	13. Chapter 13

Mark was taken back by the slap Jeff had just given him. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. He rubbed his hand over his red cheek. It was a hard slap, stung like hell, but what Jeff did was hit Mark with the truth. All of their years together, on and off relationship, Jeff was never able to tell Mark what it was that bothered him so much. Although it should have been obvious to him, Mark realized why Jeff always had a chip on his shoulder. Why they could never be together, completely.

Of course, Mark never made it easy on him, but Jeff had plenty of opportunities to tell him what it was that bothered him so much. It wasn't anything small, but it could surely be worked out had they had the chance to do so.

"My family." Mark said, after what seemed like hours of them standing in front of each other.

Jeff just lowered and shook his head, "forget, Mark."

"That's why you've always had one hand on the door? What is it exactly, so that i'm sure, are you jealous of them?" Mark questioned.

"What are you talking about? I'm not jealous of your family, Mark. Why would I?" said Jeff. "I shouldn't have slapped you, i'm sorry for doing that."

Jeff turned back towards his bag, but this time it was Mark who turned Jeff to meet his glare, "You slap me in the face, so you stand here and talk to me like a man."

The younger man kept distance between them, "look, let's not do this. I was just upset and I didn't mean anything by it."

"DAMN IT, JEFF!" Mark shouted, pounding his fist on the table. "For once, just once Jeff, will you grow up and be a man and just tell me what the hell is going on in that head of yours? Stop hiding the truth from me. I've never done anything to make you feel you weren't important to me. I've helped you get over your addictions. I've helped you get your job back. I've kept you from losing your job. I've been there to listen, to hold you hand even when I knew you were slipping away from me. I've always been there for you when Matt couldn't be. When your dad couldn't be. Why is it so damned hard for you to be straight with me just once?"

"Because every time you were there to help me, to listen to me, to hold my hand when I was slipping away, you would just turn your back on me and leave me for your family," with a renewed sense of strength and power, Jeff got right back in Mark's face. "You said you loved me and would do anything to help be get better, but you never once hesitated to drop me for them. I love your kids, Mark, I do. I would never expect to take you away from your family. That was never what I wanted."

"No? Then why all of this hassle, all of these years?" Mark asked.

Jeff waited, "sooner or later you would have given up on me. I was too much of a hassle for you to keep spending time on me. At least, playing this relationship, I was able to hold onto you a lot longer. I gave you breaks. I gave you the space I knew you would need in hopes that you wouldn't realize what a waste of time I was. I kept you at arms length so that you'd keep reaching out to me. I didn't want to lose you and I couldn't stand for you to give up on me when I needed your help," Jeff snorted in disgust. "Shit. I sound like some crazed lover."

Mark looked stunned, never did he think that Jeff was such a mess. _How could he think that i'd think of him as a waste of time and that i'd just drop him. _Mark was at a loss for words.

"Mark, you're not like Matt. Matt's relationships always seemed to crumble when I was in trouble and when I needed him to help me. He wasn't just going to let me down when I needed him. He sacrificed so much for me because he's my brother. And I'm so sorry that he had to, but who was I to you to keep you away from what I know means more to you than anything else? You had a family. You had the greatest reason in the world to leave me."

Mark continued to stare at Jeff. He reached out to grab his bag.

"So all this time, you didn't think enough of me and what I felt for you to trust that I wouldn't, that I _couldn't_ leave you? I needed you just as much as I know you needed me." Mark moved past Jeff and grabbed his phone and wallet from the bedside table.

Jeff flinched inwardly. All the fears he had about telling Mark the truth were building and were ready to topple over into a giant heap, but this time he didn't have anything to say to him.

"You made sure that I could never get close to you, but you didn't mind that I was there to help mend the pieces of the life you're ruining. Maybe you're not the only one at fault here, i'm sure that you're not. I've done my share of wrecking as well, but my intentions were always true. You wanted to keep me away, well, you've succeeded, Jeff. I'm going home to my family, but unlike all those other times, I'm not coming back to you. Not anymore and never again." Mark, holding his bruised ribs, walked past Jeff, unable to look him in the eyes he knew were ready to spill over with tears.

At the sound of the door shutting, Jeff's shoulders slumped over and he continued to fight the tears from falling down his face.

* * *

_Man, when those Musi start biting, they bite hard, don't they? I know this is short, but it was the best place to stop. I've had a few REVIEWS on the last chapter. I hope I haven't lost too many readers in my absense. Please continue to REVIEW. They really do serve as a motivation to continue writing. So what i'm saying is REVIEW, REVIEW!! REVIEW!!!!_

_Thanks.  
FortheLoveofWrestling._


	14. Chapter 14

"So does Jeff know yet?" Phil asked Matt, as they walked down the hall of the arena in Los Angeles.

Matt frowned, "no."

Phil and Jay both stopped in their tracks, "what?" Phil asked.

"You're not going to tell him. You know that he won't take it well." Jay said to Matt as they continued walking.

Matt sighed, "look, I know I need to tell him. I'm just trying to avoid it until after the shows already started."

"Matt, come on man, they're going to have to work together in the ring tonight." Phil stated.

"Yeah, Matt. Giving him less time to get ready for the inevitable isn't going to do him any good." Jay said.

The three men stopped at the corner of the hall.

"I know. Okay. I know I have to tell him soon." Matt said, knowing that Jeff wasn't going to take the news well. He couldn't blame his brother.

"Tell him." Jay told him as he and Phil turned the corner to head towards catering.

Matt just waved them off; they were right, he needed to tell Jeff. With that thought, he continued walking, looking for Jeff.

* * *

"Welcome back, big man."

Mark's blank expression quickly morphed into a large smile when he lifted his head to meet the eyes that were locked on him. Mark took his bag off of his shoulder and placed it on a large crate as he stopped in front of his greeter.

"You ready for return number, what, 857?" the man laughed as Mark pulled him into a hug.

Mark smirked, "funny, Orton. Didn't Cowboy ever teach you to respect your elders?"

Randy laughed, "yeah, he did. I should know better than to mess with old guys like you."

Mark grabbed his bag from the crate and moved to put his arm around Randy's shoulders.

"Mind helping an old man find his locker room, punk?" Mark asked, smiling.

"I guess I should, seeing as how I've already made myself comfortable in there." Randy smirked, leading Mark and himself to what was now their joint locker room.

The two men walked through the hall and luckily were able to avoid any of their friends. Thankfully, most of the other wrestlers were either at a promotional gig or had yet to arrive to the arena.

When they reached the locker room Mark threw his bag onto the floor and watched as Randy hopped onto the table in the room. Mark made himself comfortable on the couch across for where Randy was sitting.

"How was your flight in?" Randy asked.

"Too long and very tiring. A bit uneventful without all of the guys. Quiet planes are always a little weird when I'm used to being on one with all of you knuckleheads."

"I asked if you wanted me to take a flight into Texas. I would have flown in with you." the Viper told the Deadman.

"No, I know you offered. I appreciate it, but I didn't want you to have to make extra arrangements just to keep me company." Mark replied.

"It wouldn't have been a problem. I've been making the effort these past couple of months, wouldn't have hurt to do it one last time." Randy told Mark.

* * *

Although they had always been pretty close friends before, Mark and Randy had really gotten a chance to know each other a little better while Mark was out rehabbing his injuries. Randy was in Texas for a small promotional tour for shows the WWE would be doing later that year and because he was added to the press tour at late notice, it was too late for him to call for a hotel. Because he and Mark were good friends, he called him up and asked if it would be possible for him to stay the night there. He had called and reserved a hotel for the following night, but Mark had insisted he stayed with him, saying spending the money on a single nights stay in a hotel was ridiculous. Randy was quick to accept the offer when he was sure he wouldn't be an inconvenience to Mark.

The two days; although quick and uneventful, had sparked something in both men. At first it was very innocent, Mark and Randy were both unsure what to make of the situation they found themselves in.

Two weeks after those two days Randy spent at Mark's place, he decided to call him up and see how he was doing.

_"Still stiff and sore, but i'll be back. Don't go thinking I'm ready to drop my spot and let you take over it, kid." Mark laughed into the phone._

_Randy laughed too, "no, no, of course not. I'm waiting for my Wrestlemania rematch. I'm aiming to break the streak before I knock you from your throne."_

_"Well, you never know. Maybe you'll be the punk I lose it to." Mark couldn't see Randy, but he could picture the small smile on his lips that he knew must have formed at the idea._

_Randy indeed wore a small smile at the idea, "one day, Deadman, one day. Just wait."_

_"I'll be ready for you. A few new parts since the last time, but I'll be ready." Mark told him._

After that call, they continued to stay in touch and soon Randy found himself changing his schedule in order to visit with Mark for a few hours.

* * *

"Jeffro." Matt said, finding his brother.

Jeff, who was walking out of the locker room, was turned around abruptly, "Matt, slow down, man. What's going on?"

"Mark's here." Matt said before he lost the nerve. Jeff just looked at him, "Mark's here. He's back in the ring tonight."

"Okay." Jeff answered, hoping his voice didn't betray him.

Matt shock his head, "no, Jeff. He's in back in the ring tonight, after your match. You're going to have to work with him."

"Fine." Ruffling through his bag, Jeff just mumbled to Matt, "it's fine, Matt. Don't worry about me. I'll just go talk to Vince about what it is we're doing. It'll be fine."

Grabbing whatever he was looking for, Jeff gave his brother a weak smile of assurance and then walked out of the room.

* * *

Randy fidgeted with his iPod as Mark sat on the couch talking to his sons on his cell phone. When he hung up, Randy put it down and spoke without looking at the Phenom in front of him.

"Mark, I know I probably assumed a little with bringing my bag in here and making myself comfortable. It didn't really hit me until a little while ago. I feel really awkward now. We never really talked about what it would mean when you came back on the road." he said.

He heard a chuckle and finally raised his head, "you're right. We didn't discuss any of the specifics, but I figured that we'd just roll with it."

"I just figured that with you coming back we'd... I don't know. That it'd be like this, I guess, but... I don't know now." Randy shrugged.

Seeing the look of confusion and regret on his face, Mark spoke up,"maybe we do need to discuss things then." he suggested, "but for now, I think everything's fine. I enjoy your company and I definitely don't mind sharing my locker room with you, if that's what you're worried about."

Randy sighed and gave Mark a small smile.

Mark stepped up to the table to lean against it, he folded his arms across his chest and sighed.

"I think I know where you're getting at, and yeah, I guess we do need to talk about it. Can't really ignore it now. I assure you though, you don't need to worry about anything. Nothing's going to change." Mark paused for a moment and when Randy still hadn't reacted he added, "At least I hope, I think I know where you're getting at and i'm not making a fool of myself."

The smile grew on Randy's face and he turned to Mark, "I think you do. But I do have some questions and things I need to get off my chest."

"Okay. We'll talk tonight. After the show." Mark said turning his head and catching a ghost of a kiss from Randy's lips.

"I'm the Legend Killer, the Viper, Randy Orton and you've got me sitting here feeling like a school girl." he laughed, shaking his head.

Mark shrugged, "I'm The Undertaker," he simply stated with a smirk.

* * *

"Have you seen Vince? He's not in his office and i've been waiting for half an hour." Jeff asked John Laurenitis.

John looked down at his clip board, "He's, uh... Oh, he's not coming in until later. He's having a meeting with some people. Must be why no one's been yelled at."

Jeff laughed, "well I need to talk to him about the show."

"Yeah, the spot with Mark. Hold on a second." John told him.

Jeff took a step back as John made a phone call. As he waited, he started to feel the butterflies start to flutter in his stomach. _He doesn't love you. He probably never did. You don't need to give a fuck about him anymore._

Snapping Jeff out of his haze John informed him that he'd have to speak to Mark about it. He already knew what was supposed to happen and unfortunately for Jeff, he was the only who knew how the night was going to play out.

"Alright, thanks, John. I'll see you later." Jeff said, his heart in his throat.

* * *

After ten minutes of trying to will himself to look for Mark and about a ten minute search for Mark's locker room, Jeff found himself staring straight at the door in front of him. With a huge sigh he brought his fist up to the door and knocked on it three times. He swallowed, dropped his arm and waited for Mark to answer.

* * *

_another chapter done. i'd LOVE to see some REVIEWS on it. didn't get as many REVIEWS on my last two chapters as I was hoping. i really hope that i haven't lost all of my readers. i really appreciate the REVIEWS i got from **Slashdlite**, **BellaHickenbottom**, **TorturedTourniquet** and **Takers Dark Lover**. i really APPRECIATE it. THANK YOU!_

_i think i actually know where i want this story to go, so hopefully the chapters will come to me a bit quicker. thanks again to all those reading. please REVIEW! =]  
_


	15. Chapter 15

Jeff waited for what seemed like forever until he heard footsteps approaching the door from the other side. He took a step back and waited until the door opened. When it finally did, Jeff felt his heart skip a beat and his breathe catch in his throat. Mark, too, was taken back at the sight of Jeff standing in front of him. He knew he'd have to see and talk with him today, but he wasn't expecting Jeff to show up at his locker room door.

After clearing his throat, Jeff spoke quietly, "hi."

"Hi, Jeff." Mark said, stepping aside to let Jeff through and into the room.

"Sorry to bother you, but I was told I needed to talk to you about whatever it is we're doing tonight." Jeff told him, eyes looking anywhere other than Mark's.

Mark smiled, Jeff was nervous, nervous Jeff always made him smile, "you look good, Jeff."

Jeff looked down at his cell phone for no reason, "thanks," he said. _I hate hearing him say my name._

"Yeah," Mark sighed. He looked past Jeff and saw Randy's bag sitting on the floor. He was glad that Randy had gotten a call from Cody, saying they needed him down by the ring. With another sigh, "About tonight," Mark continued.

"So far all I know is that i'm dropping the title to Phil." Mark could hear the disappointment in Jeff's voice.

_Must be killing him. _"Yeah. After the match, the lights are going to go out and you and I are going to have to switch places."

Jeff just nodded and waited for Mark to finish.

"When the lights go out, i'll get out from under the ring and grab you're hand." Jeff's heart skipped another beat. "I'll get you under the ring and then that's all you have to do."

"Lose title. Under the ring. Got it." Mark felt bad for Jeff. Having the title meant a lot to Jeff. "Okay then. I'll see you later then."

Just as Jeff turned to leave Mark caught his wrist, "aren't you even going to look at me?" Mark asked him.

Jeff looked up and looked through Mark more than at him, "can I go now?"

"No, Jeff." Mark told him. "Why are you acting like this? I haven't seen you in months, don't you think we should talk?"

Mark was never in denial about what had happened before he left. He hated that Jeff thought so little of him to be honest with him all the years they were together. And he hated himself just as much for acting the way he did, but he did what he did and there was no taking it back now. All he could do was try to get things as normal as possible between them.

With a heavy sigh, Mark let go of his wrist, "of course you have nothing to say to me. I wouldn't have anything to say to me either. I'm sorry, Jeff. For everything. From day one up to that night I left."

"Forget it, Mark." Jeff told him, he wanted to talk about what happened, but he didn't think he could.

Mark felt a twinge of pain when Jeff said his name. "I can't make you talk to me, but I wish that you would. I am truly sorry, Jeff. I never meant to hurt you, I just..." he had to pause, "that night, that moment, I just couldn't take anymore, but that wasn't your fault. I just wanted you to know that and I don't want you to hate me anymore. You've spent enough time hating me all those years, and now I just want to start over, I guess."

Jeff took a deep breath, "Yeah, we'll just start over like nothing ever happened then." With a shake of his head he started towards the door and opened it, but before he walked out he turned around and looked at Mark who stood their his head down. "I never hated you, Mark. I hated the things you did, but I never hated you."

_So much for acting hard and tough. I don't know if he gives a fuck about me, maybe he does, but I can't help but give a fuck about him._

* * *

Once he walked out of Mark's locker room, Jeff let out a sigh and leaned back against the door. It'd be so easy for him to let it all go after all the months apart and just forget it all, even if he couldn't forgive Mark. Truth be told he was just as guilty as whatever he held against him. If Mark was able to let it go, he should too. He still loved Mark, there was no denying it. All the years they had been together, he swore that if it ever ended for good, he'd do anything to keep the friendship.

With another sigh, Jeff pulled himself away from the door and started down the hallway. Within seconds, he looked up from watching his feet and saw Randy walking towards him.

Randy's eyes narrowed as he wondered why Jeff was coming from the direction of Mark's locker room. It was the only one at that end of the hallway, there was no other place Jeff could have been besides Mark's room.

As Jeff and Randy grew closer, Jeff stopped to say hello to Randy.

"Hey man, how's it going?" Jeff said.

Randy shook any ideas he had out of his mind, "Hey. What's up, Jeff? Ready for your match tonight? It's going to be brutal."

Jeff laughed, "yeah, man. No doubt. I'm going to lose the gold, but it'll be a great match."

"You'll lose it now, put on a great match and remind all the suits why you deserve to have it again." Randy told him.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Jeff said, "I'll see you later, Randy."

"Yeah. Take it easy." As Jeff walked away, Randy continued to his and Mark's locker room. He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to see Jeff turn the corner before he opened the door to the room.

Randy decided not to bring up whether Jeff had been in to talk to Mark once he walked in. However he did take note that Mark made no attempt to tell him if that he had.

* * *

Mark decided that he'd wait to tell Randy about Jeff. He wasn't sure how he'd take it and he wasn't about to take the chance of hurting Randy, especially after telling him that they were going to be okay. Instead he decided to wait to bring it up later that night when they discussed whatever it was that Randy wanted to discuss. Mark had made up his mind that he would do whatever it took to keep Randy happy; he knew what mistakes he'd made with Jeff and he was ready to commit to making sure he didn't make them again. He was glad to have him. After the break up with Jeff and being home recovering from his injuries and surgery, he needed someone to talk to and he was glad that Randy was there for him when he needed it.

Randy had always been a good friend to him and had even offered his support to Mark when things with Jeff were going south. He'd never expected for their friendship to evolve into what it had, but when Randy had started taking a few hours from his days off to come all the way to Texas and spend it with him, he realized that it was much more than a friendship.

It started when he had mentioned to Randy that he would like this local band he had heard at a restaurant; Randy asked if he'd take him to listen to them the next time he was in town and Mark told him he would. Two days later, Randy called and asked if he would be home and then two hours later was at his door knocking.

As promised he'd taken Randy to see the band and was right when he said that Randy would like them. After a few hours, Randy had to catch a flight back home to St. Louis.

After that, Randy was stopping by every chance he could, only for a few hours, but Mark thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent together, as did Randy. It was obvious to Mark that Randy was beginning to have a thing for him, but he wasn't sure if he could get his head wrapped around the idea of starting over again, or if he wanted to. Randy was persistent and never failed to let Mark know that he was there for him though, no matter what.

Although he was grateful for Randy's company and friendship, Mark was amused that this was the same guy he couldn't stand when he first joined the company. It was an unspoken rule of the locker room that Mark was the guy to stick a punk new-comer with when he was not doing or acting the way management wanted him to. Mark quickly learned that a lot of how Randy acted was a facade, he wasn't nearly as obnoxious when you got to know him. He'd slipped up a few times, but Mark and a few others were quick to put him in his place once again.

When Mark realized that he was finding himself more and more attracted to Randy, he figured that it was about time he moved on from what had happened with Jeff.

After a show in Washington, Randy flew into Texas and was surprised when Mark was there to meet him at the airport. They went back to Mark's home and after talking for over an hour, Randy recognized the difference in Mark and decided to take a chance.

* * *

The two of them had been sitting outside talking and soon found themselves in a comfortable silence, soon though, Randy was slipping in and out of sleep. Mark laughed and told him that he was welcome to stay the night and then catch a flight the next morning. Randy nodded and said thank you as he stood up. When Mark followed suit, Randy psyched himself into making a move.

Without hesitation, Randy moved forward towards Mark, placed his hands on either side of his face and then moved his lips to Mark's. Mark was taken back and stood motionless for a moment and then relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy it.

Randy stepped back and waited for Mark's reaction, Mark simply said "come on, you look exhausted. Let's get you to bed."

Mark had taken Randy's hand and led him to the guest room and made sure he had everything he needed and that he was comfortable. The following morning, before he left to catch his flight, Randy had apologized for what he did. Mark told him that he shouldn't be sorry; he was glad that he had taken the initiative that he was afraid to take himself. After that visit, their relationship progressed into what it was now. Even though they had never taken the time to define what it was exactly; neither of them felt the need to, it simply was what it was. Up until now.

* * *

"And CM Punk has won the World title!"

* * *

_okay. that's where i'm leaving it for now. i thought this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but i guess not. i figured that i'd post it now so that my wonderful readers will REVIEW and keep me motivated to keep writing. in the next chapter: talks. discussions. broken hearts? healed scars? tune in to find out. same slash time. same slash channel. _

_REVIEW!_

_-ftlow_


	16. Chapter 16

Mark waited in his too-familiar spot under the ring as he watched the small screen that they always so kindly remembered to place under there for his entertainment. He watched for the cue to get into place and when it came he moved to the edge of the ring and when he saw the lights go out, he shuffled out from under the ring.

Once he was out and up, he reached his arm under the bottom rope and felt his hand land directly into Jeff's smaller hand. Mark wrapped his hand around Jeff's wrist and pulled him out of the ring. Just before Jeff could fall out of the ring, Mark caught him under the arms and helped him under the ring before rolling in and taking the place Jeff emptied.

Before Mark rolled into the ring though, he heard a faint whisper, "thanks."

x

Once under the ring, Jeff's attention moved to the television screen that had just lit up as the arena did. With a sigh, Jeff closed his eyes and listened to the incredible eruption that was happening on the outside. His body ached with pains of the bumps and spots he'd just performed in what he thought was a great match, but unfortunately, that was the only positive thing that came out of the match, for him at least.

He lay there, in pain, listening to the crowd go nuts for the man he knew he'd screwed absolutely everything up with; who had just choke slammed the guy who had taken his title away. _Shit._

With another sigh, Jeff had to chuckle to himself. _This is what he meant? _When they were together, Mark would always complain about having to spend his time backstage or under the ring whenever something exciting happened and allowed for the other wrestlers to loosen up a bit. He understood that it was important for him to take care of his character and maintain his gimmick's credibility, but he always wished that he could enjoy the rare times when it happened, but no, he was stuck under the ring where he couldn't. Jeff shook his head._ I don't blame him for hating this. This is the worst._ _Hm... "when we were together."_

x

After the crowd had left, a stage worker poked his head under the ring and told Jeff that he could come out now.

"Thanks. I thought maybe you guys had forgotten about me." Jeff said, climbing out from under the ring and stretching his aching muscles. The stage hand smiled and continued picking up the cables he held in his hand.

With a noticeable limp, Jeff walked backstage and was not surprised to see that most of the guys were about ready to head out. As he was walking back to his locker room, he ran into Phil.

"Hey man, congratulations." Jeff told him, trying not to sound bitter.

Phil turned to see Jeff, "thanks. Are you alright? You look pretty battered."

Jeff smiled, "just a part of the gig, you know."

"Yeah, but you should probably see the medic though, Jeff." Phil said.

"I will. Thanks, Philly. Do me a favor though, will you?" the Rainbow-Haired Warrior asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" the Straight Edge Superstar responded.

Jeff smirked, "take good care of my title for me, okay? She's only with you for a while."

Phil laughed and bid his friend goodbye, but before he did, he asked, "are you coming out with us tonight?"

"Um, no. I don't think so. Not tonight. Don't feel too much like going out." he told him.

"No? Okay. Well, call me if you change your mind." Phil said and then continued on his way.

Jeff limped his way to his locker room, he hoped that Matt would be going out; he didn't feel much like company either. As he was walking, he passed a few more guys and just before he reached his destination, Randy walked by.

"Hey, Jeff. Great match, man. Those spots were pretty great." he told him.

Jeff grinned, "thanks, Randy. I try to jump off of ladders as best as I can."

"Well, you're pretty damned good at it." Randy laughed, "alright, I'll let you get showered. Good match though, Jeff." Randy was glad that he didn't feel anything negative towards Jeff, even after knowing that he'd been in to see Mark and that Mark hadn't mentioned it to him.

Jeff walked into the locker room and was glad to rinse off and get changed; he'd rather wait to get to the hotel to take a relaxing, hot shower. After being bombarded with questions from his brother, Jeff finally had to tell him to relax and drop it.

"Fine, Jeff. Do whatever you want." Matt said in defeat, "I'll be in the car, so hurry up."

Jeff finished getting dressed and got his bags together. He walked out of the locker room, passing a few workers and then was surprised when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Jeff. Where are you going?" Mark asked Jeff.

Jeff silently sighed, "to find Matt so we can head back and I can get some rest."

"Your back has got to be killing you after that ridiculous and really unnecessary spot off the ladder." Mark said.

"Yeah, it is, so..." Jeff started but was cut off.

Mark frowned, "you didn't see the medic, did you?"

Jeff just shook his head and tried to walk away. For the second time that night, Mark grabbed Jeff's wrist and kept him from walking away.

"What do you mean you didn't see the doc?" Mark shook his head, "didn't I teach you anything, kid? You need to go see the doc; you're all battered and bruised."

"Mark, I'm fine. Just drop it." Jeff pleaded with him.

"Come on, Jeff. You need to be checked out. I'll go with you." he offered.

"No! I don't need you on my back anymore. I don't need to listen to you anymore either. I'm a grown ass man and I don't need you." Jeff spat at Mark, pulling his arm away and walking down the hallway.

Again, Mark felt a bit of pain at Jeff's words and attitude. "Please, Jeff. Go see the medic. I can tell when you're hurting badly. I know what that looks like on you."

"Just leave me alone, Mark. Can you do that for me? Please?" Jeff asked him. He hated the way Mark pretended to care about him. If he cared about him, he wouldn't have blown up at him and left like he did.

"Mark, you ready?" Both Mark and Jeff looked away from each other and down the hall to where Randy stood.

"Yeah, I'm ready." Mark said, breaking the silence.

Jeff looked from Randy to Mark with raised eyebrows.

"Will you please just go see the medic, Jeff?" Mark asked once more, in a slight whisper.

Jeff scoffed at Mark's plead.

Mark nodded, "goodnight, Jeff." Mark quickly walked to where Randy stood waiting, leaving Jeff behind.

Before Mark and Randy walked out the door though, Mark turned around.

"Jeff." Jeff raised his head to look at Mark once more, "it isn't very fun, is it?"

Jeff's forehead wrinkled in confusion, "listening to crowd cheering from under the ring. It's a tough feeling," Mark added.

"Yeah, it isn't." Jeff said, so low he wasn't even sure he had said it aloud.

After watching Randy and Mark walk out of the building, he was almost certain that he saw Mark's arm move to Randy's shoulder just before the door had shut. With another sigh, Jeff shook the thought from his head, certainly he was seeing things. He pulled out his phone and dialed Matt's number.

"Hey, Matt, can you come back in and wait for me. I'm gonna stop by and see the medic before we go." Jeff said, turning around to find the medical room. "thanks, Matt."

x

Mark swallowed in nervousness, Randy had obviously seen him talking to Jeff, but why hadn't he brought it up yet? Mark figured that maybe he was waiting him bring it up. _Or maybe he's just thinking the worst about the situation? _

As Mark drove from the arena to the hotel they were staying at, Randy sat quietly, doing anything he could to keep from thinking about what Mark and Jeff could have been talking about and why Mark hadn't bothered to mention anything about it to him.

"You okay?" Mark said, breaking Randy's thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Randy told him, lying.

Mark looked over at him, "okay."

Mark and Randy drove in silence for the remainder of the drive. When they finally arrived at the hotel, Mark parked the car and waited for Randy to say something. Instead, all he did was get out of the car without a word, until the arrived to the hotel.

"No. I'm not fine." Randy suddenly said.

Mark had just stepped into the elevator, "I didn't think you were. So, let's hear it. Does it have anything to do with what you saw when you went back in looking for me?"

"I don't know, Mark. What did I see?" Randy asked him, as they stood waiting for the elevator doors to open to their floor.

When it did, they walked out and Mark answered, "nothing. You didn't see anything except me talking to an old friend. All I said to him was that he should go see the doc before he left the arena."

"That's it?" Randy asked.

"Yes. That's it." Mark said, as they walked to the hotel room.

Before Randy unlocked the door he turned to Mark, "okay. I believe you."

When they walked into the room, Mark couldn't help buy let out a great, big laugh. He looked into the room, attached to the living room. _Two beds. _Randy just looked at Mark quizzically and then followed the direction of Mark's eyes.

Randy smiled, "yeah. I didn't know which the way to go was."

"It's fine," Mark laughed, "it's very surprising though."

"How so?" Randy asked.

"Had things not happened the way they've happened, I would have never thought you to be this," Mark paused, trying to find the right words, "so timid and shy. Jeff was never shy."

Both Randy and Mark held a breath as the words were spoken, "i'm not Jeff, Mark." Randy said.

"No, you're not. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Mark apologized.

Randy shook his head, "you don't have to apologize, I just want you to know that I'm not like Jeff. I can't be Jeff, if that's what you want."

Mark led Randy by the shoulders to the small couch in the middle of the room where they took a seat.

"I don't want you to be Jeff." Mark told him. "All day I've felt like you were walking on eggshells around me. I don't want that. When I asked if you were fine, you said you were. That's not what I want, Randy. Jeff did that. Jeff didn't want to talk about anything, ever, and look where that got the two of us."

"You're right. I did feel like I was walking on eggshells. I really didn't know what to expect from you and this situation, but I think I get it now. I really don't feel comfortable acting like that around you because it doesn't feel right. I feel, no, I know that I can normally around you." Randy sighed and leaned back. "So can I relax and try to act little more normally now that this is out of the way?"

Mark smirked, "please." Mark thought a moment before asking "is that all you wanted to talk about? If there's anything else, I really don't want you to hide it. Let's get this all out of the way."

Randy thought about the question and then answered, "I want to know what this is and where it's going. I can't just do this day-by-day, week-by-week thing. You told me that he wasn't one to commit and always ran away when you guys got too serious. That's not what I'm looking for. If this doesn't last in the long run, then so be it, but I can't stay if this is just a crutch for you to get back into the swing of things."

"I'm not looking for anything that's just week-by-week. I'm not looking for a crutch." Mark interrupted.

"Mark, I'm sorry to keep hammering this, but I'm nothing like Jeff. I love the guy, he's a good friend, but I don't need someone to take care of me like you needed to take care of him, he needed it; he needed you. I can take care of myself though. After all of these years, it's a pretty big change of pace for you. You sure you want to get in to this?" Randy said, hating having to put down someone he considered a good friend, but he needed to hear that Mark was into this for real.

Mark nodded in understanding, "Well, you're half right. I know you don't need me the way he did and that's okay, but that doesn't mean that I won't be watching out for you. I'm going to be looking out for you and trying to protect you all the time, that's just how I am. I can't change that." Mark chuckled. "But I know where you're getting at. This is definitely something new to me. And i'll probably make some mistakes along the way, but what's in the past stays there. This is about you and me now and I'm up for the challenge as long as you are."

"Okay. Good. I am." Randy said and after a pause, he continued, "I know that he went to speak to you earlier at the arena. It doesn't bother me that he did, but I did wonder why you weren't going to say anything about it. I know that I shouldn't worry about it, because I trust you, but I think this honest and openness thing should work both ways."

Again, Mark nodded in acknowledgement, "You're absolutely right, it should. And yeah, he did come in to talk to me, but I wasn't about anything that you might be thinking. He came in to talk about the spot at the end of the show. That was it."

Randy knew that he was telling the truth, but he was still curious. "That's it? You guys didn't even talk about what happened between you guys?"

"Nope," was all Mark said.

Randy thought that he could hear a hint of disappointment in Mark's voice. "Why not? I thought for sure you guys would want to talk about it. It's been months."

"Come on, Randy. We don't need to do this. It doesn't matter." Mark said, hoping to drop the subject.

"No, this is what we've been talking about. No hiding anything." Randy said.

"I asked if he wanted to talk about it, and he said no. Case closed. No need to bother with it anymore." Mark told him.

Randy shook his head, "Well, that's not going to do. Neither one of you can move on unless you talk about it and clear the air. You said yourself that you acted like an asshole when you left him; you need to talk to him about it. And I know that he hasn't really been himself since then. Everyone can see it." Randy stood up, stretching his long limbs. He looked down at Mark, who seemed to be contemplating the situation. "You owe it to the both you. Make him talk to you, Mark."

With that said Randy stepped over Mark's legs and carried the bags into the bedroom. Figuring that there was no longer a need for him to remain timid around Mark, now that they had cleared the air between themselves, he made use of the second bed and threw their bags and Mark's suitcase onto it. Smiling to himself, he figured Mark wouldn't mind sharing the small bed.

x

The next day, Randy insisted that Mark stay behind at the hotel while he left to the new arena for Monday Night Raw. Before he left, Randy again reminded Mark that he should take the chance to catch up with the rest of his Smackdown! buddies who were all going to be hanging behind for the day.

"So basically, Mark, I'm telling you to go talk to Jeff." Randy said to him. Mark just waved it off and tried to distract him with a kiss that left the both of questioning the importance of Randy actually showing up for Raw. "You've succeeded in getting us both hot under the collar and I still expect you to talk to him today. Was it worth trying to distract me from that?" Randy asked.

With a moment of hesitation and a smirk on his face, Mark answered, "very much so."

The two men laughed as Randy picked up his bag and started for the door. "Talk to him. Bye."

x

Mark laughed to himself, he actually enjoyed Randy being so straightforward and honest. It was something new to him and it was something that he longed for when he was with Jeff. Besides being straightforward and honest, Randy had a strong personality, very similar to his own personality. With another laugh, Mark realized that was the trait that he really found most attractive. One of the many things he found attractive about Randy. It'd been so long that he had someone that was equal to him. It wasn't that Jeff wasn't equal to him, but with him, it was just different. So much of their relationship was Mark trying to protect him and watch over him. Or Jeff keeping Mark from losing control. It was always so one-sided with the two of them. With Randy, it wasn't like that and that was very appealing. It wasn't one person watching over the other, then a switch of positions; it was the both of them watching out for each other all the time.

After spending the morning having breakfast downstairs with the other Smackdown! guys; Mark, Chris and Phil decided that a trip to the hotel's sauna would be a pleasant idea. After Phil had talked to Matt, Matt decided that it was indeed a good idea. Later that afternoon, Mark, Chris, Phil, a reluctant Matt and an ill-informed Jeff all headed to the sauna on a secluded floor of the hotel. Although Matt was aware of the situation between Jeff and Mark, he knew that it would be best for everyone that they learned how to deal with each other. Matt figured that Mark wouldn't cause a fuss, but his baby brother on the other hand was a different story.

Jeff had come back to the hotel last night with an attitude Matt was very familiar with; it was the attitude he always had when he and Mark had a fight.

_"Damn it, Matt. Just go out and have fun. I'm fine." Jeff shouted from inside the bathroom, "at least I would be if you'd just leave me alone."_

_"Jeff, just tell me what happened? I saw Mark leave just before you called me." Matt asked, hoping his brother would explain what had happened._

_Jeff groaned, "nothing. Okay. Nothing. I'm sore, pissed off that I lost the title and I just want to be left alone, Matt. Please."_

_Matt sighed in failure, "I won't stay out long, alright? If you need anything call me or call Jay. He's just down the hall."_

_"Yeah. Fine. I'll see you in the morning." Jeff said, glad that Matt was going to leave him alone for a few hours._

Matt was afraid to tell Jeff that Mark was coming along, so he just hoped that Jeff would act maturely about it and get through the afternoon without a problem.

"Come on, man." Matt heard Jeff say from the hallway, "My body is killing me. I need that sauna."

"Alright. I'm ready." Matt said, "I swear, you've got to be worse than a five year old."

Jeff laughed and when Matt moved in front of him, he made a face at Matt, "Jeff, come on. I caught onto that years ago."

"What? Man, how do you do that?" Jeff asked, "Mark always knew too."

Jeff had to stop in his tracks. He had no idea why that thought would even cross his mind. In all of the months they had been apart, he was able to keep his thoughts of Mark under control, but now this? _What is this spell you've got me under? _Jeff thought to himself.

"Jeffro, you okay?" Matt said, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. He tried to ignore the comment altogether. He didn't want Jeff to think it was such a big deal.

Jeff shook his head, "yeah. Sorry."

Matt and Jeff waited in silence for the elevator doors to open. When they did, they were greeted by their friends Chris and Phil.

"Hey, what's up, Hardy bros?" Phil said.

Matt walked into the elevator first, making sure to give Chris and Phil a look that told them not to mention Mark.

"Alright, Phil, you took my title, so no childish games in the sauna, alright? That Swanton did a number on me." Jeff warned his friend.

Phil laughed, "no problem. That Swanton wasn't a picnic for me either."

"I was putting on fantastic matches before you guys could even climb a ladder." Chris chimed in.

"Yeah, we know how old you are, Chris." Matt joked.

Chris glared at Matt while Jeff and Phil just laughed. They had finally made it to the right floor and started down the hallway.

"I'm serious. You've seen my stuff from Japan, right?" Chris continued. "THAT was wrestling."

"Chris, you know those stories were only great to hear when Eddie told them. When you tell them, it's just annoying."

Chris, Phil and Matt all turned around to see Mark walking towards them. They hadn't even heard the elevator over their chatter. All but Jeff had turned around to see who had spoken; Jeff could recognize that voice anywhere.

Chris hesitated for a moment, but decided that it would be best if they play it all off and keep the drama to a minimum.

"Coming from the man with all of three stories that he's told a million times to anyone who'd listen to them." Chris said.

Mark reached the group and put his arm around Chris' shoulder as they continued down the hallway, "you've got me there, Chris."

After laughter from the three men, Phil spoke, "How are you doing, Mark? The bum hip and all, I mean."

"It's fine. New parts always take a while to get used to, but they're working fine so far." Mark told them. "You know, you and Jeff put on one hell of a match last night." Jeff looked up at Mark who was looking at him. Quickly Jeff darted his eyes to stare a hole into the back of Matt's head.

They stopped in front of the sauna door and Matt said, "oh, I forgot my phone. Jeff come back down with me to get, will you?"

The other three men continued into the sauna and told the Hardy's to hurry back.

"How fucking dare you, Matt? Why didn't you tell me?" Jeff said as soon as they were away from the door.

"Jeff, come on. You guys have got to get over this." Matt said.

Jeff threw his hands in the air, "get over it? Matt, do you even remember the way he treated me when he left? He didn't give a shit about me. I don't know why he even stuck around all those years. He didn't care about me and he certainly doesn't care about me now."

Matt shook his head, "no, Jeff. Don't you remember all the things he did for you? How he tried to protect you and keep you safe?" Jeff just snorted in disbelief.

"I know what him leaving you did and I hate that he did that. You're my little brother, and I don't like what he did, but the truth is that Mark really isn't that bad of a guy. And you know it."

Jeff just sunk down to the floor and sat there, his head in his hand. He knew better than anyone just how great of a guy Mark was, but he just couldn't let go of the pain he felt and held onto since Mark had left him.

"He wanted to know what my problem was, why I acted and said the things I did, and when I told him, what does he go and do?" Jeff asked, more to himself than to Matt, "he does the one thing I always secretly begged for him not to do." Matt moved to sit next to Jeff, putting his hand on his shoulder for support. "I know what I did was wrong, I shouldn't have lied to him all that time, but I knew, I KNEW that he would leave. And that's what he did. Grabbed his stuff and walked out."

"Jeff, I know how hard it must be to have him around again, but it won't do any good to just leave things awkward. You've got to talk to him." Matt stood up, "and you've got to let go of those insecurities. Look at all of the problems that you've had because of them. Is it worth it to keep all of those insecurities? They're not doing you any good. Don't you think you should let them go, maybe then you'll be happy for once?"

Matt told Jeff to come into the sauna and join the rest, but if he wasn't ready, he didn't have to.

"I don't know, Matt." Jeff said.

Matt looked at his younger brother with pity, the poor guy was hurting and there was nothing he could do to alleviate it. "Do you want me to head back with you?"

"No, go ahead, Matty. Thanks though." the enigma told him.

"Okay." Matt said as he walked back into the sauna room.

After a few minutes of sitting and thinking, Jeff finally got up and looked towards the elevator doors. With a deep breath, he turned his back to them and went to join the others.

x

_I thought this would be a good idea, but nope, this was a mistake. I should just get up and leave. The kid is hurting, I can tell. I can always tell. Randy was wrong. It isn't going to do anyone any good for us to talk and try to clear the air. He probably hates me and he has every right. _

_I can't do this to the kid, i've done enough damage. I'll just tell Randy that I couldn't and that it'd be the best if I just stayed away from Jeff. He obviously wants nothing to do with me and I have no business trying to get back into his life when I was the one who packed my bags and left. No matter how hard it was for me to hear him out and realize that everything I thought we had was just a mix of lies, he doesn't deserve to have me screwing up his life anymore._

"I've had about enough. I don't know how you guys can take this." Mark said standing up and walking past his friends. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at the arena."

"Mark, where are you going? We've only been in here for ten minutes." Phil said.

"Yeah, come on back, sit down and stop being a grumpy old man." Chris added.

Mark turned to face the group before stepping out, "no, I can't stay anymore."

Chris, Phil and Matt all looked at each other, knowing why Mark had suddenly left. They heard a sigh come from Jeff who was sitting near the corner of the room.

_What did he say to you, Jeff? Be a man, for once._

With that thought, Jeff stood up and walked out of the room to find Mark.

* * *

_wow. this is certainly my longest chapter. i felt i was on a roll so i just went with it. i really hope that this doesn't sound too generic and repetitive. i'm trying to grow as a writer. please let me know what you think about the story so far and this chapter. is longer better? REVIEW! and let me know, please._

_i have to thank all those who REVIEWed for my last chapter. it really means a lot. i really do appreciate it. thank you all for the kind words._

_one last thing that i have to mention is that the sauna idea i kind of took from Ashura77. i was struggling and then remembered a wonderful part in Ashura77's **In the Glimpse of an Eyebeat** and went with it. hope you don't mind. =] and if you haven't read that story, you need to leave my page, after you **REVIEW**, and go read it._

_-fortheloveofwrestling_


	17. Chapter 17

"Mark, you don't have to leave." Jeff said, as he saw Mark putting his jeans on. Jeff tried not to stare, but knew that he was failing miserably. Mark just sighed and shook his head as he finished dressing, "no, it was a mistake to come here knowing you were going to be here too; and it was a mistake to try and talk to you last night. I've done nothing but be a complete asshole to you and I shouldn't expect you to do me the favor of talking."

"Yeah," Jeff interrupted, "you have been a complete asshole." Mark looked at Jeff with sorrow in his eyes and all he could manage was a small nod. "Damn it. Wait." Jeff said grabbing his own t-shirt and pulling on his gym shorts. Jeff finally caught up to Mark in the hallway, "Jeff, I promise you that I won't bother you anymore. I know I've broken a lot of promises I've made to you, but this one I won't. I'm going to respect your decision." Mark told him, he really didn't want to continue talking. All talking to Jeff did was stir up feeling he wasn't ready to deal with.

Jeff grabbed Mark by the arm and forced him to look at him, "well, maybe that isn't what I want."

Mark looked at Jeff in confusion. In the brief time between him leaving the sauna and Jeff following him, he'd made a decision to not pursue any type of reconciliation between them. He wanted to just let it all go. It was hurting Jeff to be around him; it was hurting Mark to be the cause of Jeff's pain and Mark was beginning to sense that any prolonged time together was only going to end up hurting someone, and he was afraid that the person getting hurt would be Randy. The idea of Randy getting hurt was something that Mark didn't want either. After all that he had done for him, Mark knew that Randy's feelings were just as important and his and Jeff's now.

"Mark?" Jeff asked, worried about what Mark could be thinking now that he'd admitted that he wasn't interested in Mark leaving him alone. "What?" Mark asked, trying to clear his thoughts.

Jeff took Mark's hand and sat them both down on the bench between the two elevators. Jeff wasn't really sure what he wanted to say to Mark, but he knew that something had to be said. Jeff was so confused that he wasn't even sure what he felt; he didn't know if he still loved Mark, or if he hated him, if he was upset about what had gone down between them or guilty of causing it all to happen. He held onto Mark's hand and all he could remember was how much he cared for Mark. Knowing that they were both at fault for things they'd done in the past, Jeff decided that he should just open his mouth and hope that something that made sense came out.

"I... I... don't really know what to say." Jeff stammered. "You don't need to say anything Jeff." Mark spoke to him in a whisper. "Yes, I do. I... I just don't know what it is that needs to be said." Jeff said. "I think maybe it should be something about what happened between us." Mark hung his head, "that'd probably be a good place to start." Mark took his hand away from Jeff's, "I was definitely an asshole, Jeff. I'm so sorry and I can't apologize enough for how I treated you." Jeff sat there listening and trying to remember what Mark's hand felt like in his. "What I did wasn't fair at all. I begged and pleaded for you to talk to me and when you did, I just couldn't handle it and did the worst possible thing I could have done." Mark stopped; he wasn't sure what else he could say or what else he wanted to say at the moment. "Yeah, well, I shouldn't have lied to you all that time." Jeff said. "I wanted to just let go of all of those insecurities, I really did, but I don't know what happened. I knew that if you wanted to leave me to spend it with your family, there would be absolutely nothing I could do or say to make you stay." Mark shook his head and put his hand up to stop Jeff, "If I wanted to leave you..." Mark looked at Jeff, "I never had any intentions of leaving you. Not ever. My family, my kids mean everything to me, but it was never you or them. You were my family too, Jeff." Jeff frowned, "I _was_ your family." Mark took Jeff's chin in his hand and made Jeff look at him, "I still care about you, Jeff. What I feel for you was never in question, what I questioned was what you felt for me." Mark had to stand up, he was getting to antsy sitting, "I... I can't believe that you would think so little of me that you couldn't tell me this." Jeff listened to this and could feel his anger start to build up, "what!?" Jeff stood up, "You mean because I was afraid that you'd leave me like you did?" Mark paced in frustration, "no, Jeff. Shit. That's not what I meant." Jeff huffed, "well, tell me. What did you mean?" Mark stopped to look at him, "I meant that I loved you and had you told me before we wouldn't be in this situation now and I wouldn't be worried about hurting the two people I care for."

Jeff stopped and had to sit back down. Mark turned his back towards Jeff. He hadn't planned on telling Jeff about him and Randy like this; he wasn't sure if he had wanted to tell Jeff about him and Randy at all, but it was now out on the table where he couldn't take it back. He had tried to keep everyone involved from getting hurt, but now there was no hope for that. Someone was going to get hurt, but he wasn't sure yet who it would be. Mark finally turned back to look at Jeff and saw that he had a blank stare on his face and his eyes were noticeably moist.

"What the hell have I done?" Mark asked. "Jeff, I'm sorry, this situation wasn't your fault. I put you in this position. I'm the one who wanted us to talk this all out, but I was wrong, this wasn't what I wanted to happen." Jeff finally looked up at Mark, "so what am I trying to fight for? What am I trying to hold onto?" Jeff chuckled, "I thought that if I didn't try to talk to you, that i'd lose you forever for good. And all this time you probably just wanted to clear your own conscience. This wasn't about me and you getting through this, this was about you wrapping up old business." Mark shook his head and sat next to Jeff, "no, no Jeff. This... this conversation this situation is about me and you. I still feel something for you Jeff and I just wanted us to be okay. How many years were we together? How can I just let that go? I can't." Jeff let his head drop into his hands. "Who is it? Randy, isn't it." Mark said nothing. "I knew it. Man, I knew there was something up last night. You guys were there, right in front of my face and I just ignored it." Mark put his hand on Jeff's knee, "come on, Jeff. You have to know that I'm not trying to hurt you, I just wanted us to be okay." Jeff snorted, "don't touch me, Mark." he said as he moved Mark's hand. "Well, fine. If that's what you want, fine. We're okay. No hard feelings. You're free to pursue your relationship guilt free."

With that said Jeff stood up and walked back to the sauna room. As much as Mark wanted to follow him, he knew that it would be pointless. There was nothing he could do to make Jeff feel better about the situation they were all in; he wasn't even sure how to make himself feel better about it. Sitting there, Mark heard the door open again and looked up, hoping it would be Jeff, but instead, it was the other guys.

"Mark, what happened?" Chris asked. "Jeff's in there balling. What's going on?" Phil added. Mark just shook his head, not wanting to explain anything. "Whatever it is, I hope you guys can get past it because Jeff's a mess." Phil said. "Jeff's a mess and you know that there's nothing and no one that can help him like you can. You can't let him get back to a place he was a few years ago." Chris and Phil waited for Mark to say something. "What do you want me to say? I know I need to fix this mess that i've caused." he snapped at them. When Mark saw the two men take a step back, "look, i'm sorry guys, I just... I know I've done nothing but make things worse for Jeff. I'm going to fix it; I know he can't get like that again." Chris and Phil just nodded, "we'll talk to you later, Mark." Mark just nodded and leaned back against the wall as Chris and Phil stepped into the elevator.

_What the fuck did you do, Mark? You just went and made this whole fucking situation even worse. How in the hell can you expect Jeff to forgive you? What the hell were you even expecting? And why in the hell did you have to bring up Randy? He's done nothing but help you. Now he's going to get hurt too. You've actually managed to fuck everything up for everyone involved._

Mark wasn't sure what he was going to do or what he could say to make things better, but he knew he had to try something. He was going to wait for Jeff and if Matt didn't attack him, he was going to try to make Jeff talk to him again and clear everything once and for all.

xXx

After about ten minutes, Mark was fidgeting around; he couldn't keep still. Finally, the door opened up and he watched a very angry Matt and Jeff, with a tear streaked face walk towards him. Mark stood up, swallowing his heart that was pounding in his throat.

"Jeff." Mark started, "can we please talk about this?" Matt glared at Mark, "you need to just back off, Mark. I tried to help, but you screwed this all up. Again." Mark stood in front of the brothers, "Matt, I know that you're just trying to protect Jeff, but please, stay out of this. This is between Jeff and me." He looked directly at Jeff, who had his head down towards the floor, "Jeff, after all we've been through; you have to know that when I say I still care about you, I'm only speaking the truth. I know i've hurt you and I know i'm hurting you again, but please, just talk to me. I can't let things stay this way." Matt tried to push past Mark, but failed, "Mark. Back off now. It's over. Just leave him alone." Mark moved to wipe the tears off of Jeff's face. "Jeff, you know me. I can't leave you alone. Not knowing that you're hurting because of something I did. Not again. That's why I wanted to talk to you to begin with; I hurt you then and I needed to clear things up and make sure that you were okay." Jeff tried so hard to be tough and not want to crawl into Mark's arms, just hoping to find the comfort he always found before. "How can you say that to me, Mark?" Jeff asked, "how can you say that you want me to be okay? That you don't want me to hurt anymore? You couldn't even wait a few months to find a new fuck buddy." Matt looked at his brother and moved from his side, letting Jeff talk to Mark on his own. "Don't speak about Randy like that, Jeff. You aren't the kind to talk about your friends like that. And if you have to wonder why I would want you to be happy, then I screwed up a lot worse than I thought." Jeff knew that he shouldn't say such things about Randy. He hadn't done anything to receive treatment like that, but he had quickly grown to dislike his friend. "Jeff, I don't know what you want me to say to you. I wish I could just say a word and make this all go away, but I can't. All I can say is that I still care about you and that..." Mark paused, trying to find the words he wanted to use, "I still love you." Hearing Mark say those words almost broke Matt's heart. Jeff wasn't even sure he'd heard them, but when he felt Mark wrap his arms around him. "Jeff, I don't want to keep hurting you, but I just can't seem to find the right words to say to you. I'm not looking for your forgiveness; I'm looking for your friendship again. I need to start somewhere."

Jeff wasn't sure what to say. He loved Mark, he couldn't deny it, but he also knew that there was a lot of stuff that they both would have to sit down and talk about.

"Mark, I can't. Not right now." Jeff whispered. "That's okay. Can we just try to work this out sometime? I don't want to lose you completely, Jeff." Jeff nodded and looked to Matt who was having a hard time keeping quiet. There was so much that he wanted to tell his little brother, but he knew that this wasn't the time to do so.

"Let's go, Matt." Matt nodded and pressed the button on the elevator. When the doors opened, Jeff walked in and looked straight at Mark, giving him a weak smile. When the doors closed, Mark let out a sigh. Suddenly, his cell phone in his pocket went off. Mark took it out and looked at it.

_Hey kid. What are you up to? Get a chance to talk to Jeff yet? -RKO_

With another sigh, Mark rested his forehead against the elevator door.

_I hope you know what you're getting into, Mark. _

Mark didn't have the heart to answer Randy's message right away, so instead, he went back to their hotel room to shower and change. Of course, he couldn't keep his thoughts from racing through his head. He hadn't really planned on his actions, but believing that they were not true would be silly. The words he spoke to Jeff were true; he definitely still felt love for him, but all the guilt and thoughts of hurting Randy because of his actions earlier, said that he held those same feelings for Randy as well.

Finally, when Mark was showered, dressed and tired of his thoughts, he pulled his phone out of his bag. He read Randy's message a few times over until he was ready to respond.

_Yes, I did. Not sure if it cleared anything up. See you tonight. _

With a groan, Mark sent the message and hoped that he could figure something out before Randy came back from Raw. Silently, after about fifteen minutes, he had to thank Randy for either being to busy to check his messages or for just not replying.

xXx

Some of the others had called Mark up and asked if he wanted to head out for lunch, but he was in no mood to be surrounded by people. Mark stayed in his room and contemplated several ways to try and amend the things he'd done to get him, and the two other people involved, into such a mess. Finally, Mark decided that he couldn't deal with the situation until he talked to Randy about it.

In the time he spent laying there and trying to straighten the mess out in his head, he came to the conclusion that he really, truly cared about Randy and how everything was going to affect him. He knew how important it was to make sure Jeff was okay in all of this, but making sure that Randy was okay and wouldn't be hurt, no matter the conclusion, was Mark's new goal.

Tired of thinking about everything, Mark drifted off into a restless sleep. When he awoke, he noticed the light on his phone flashing. He reached over to the side table and grabbed it.

_We'll talk about it when I get back, if you want. Should be heading back in an hour. - RKO_

Mark looked at when the message was sent. _Two hours ago._

Turning on the television, Mark found Monday Night Raw and watched as he waited for Randy to return. Half way into the show, his phone went off with the song Randy had made the ringtone for his number - his theme song, of course.

_Going to stop for some grub, want anything? - RKO_

Mark had to smile at the simple, but thoughtful gesture. He'd slept through lunch and dinner and was feeling it in his stomach.

_Yes, slept through lunch and dinner. I'm starving. Thanks._

xXx

Forty minutes had passed and finally, a tired Randy walked through the door; his gym bag, WWE title belt, food and a grocery store bag in his arms. Mark laughed at the sight and grabbed the food, bags and belt from his arms.

"Thank you," Randy told him. "You're welcome," Mark replied with a smile. After setting his stuff down, Randy took off his jacket and threw himself on the bed. Mark had put the food on the table and turned to look at Randy. "Rough night at the workplace?" Mark asked. "Yes." Randy said, sitting up. After a moment, he stood up to join Mark at the table. "So, tell me what happened with Jeff," he started, "is everything okay with you guys now?" Mark took a bite of his food, hoping to avoid the question as long as possible. Knowing that he needed, and even wanted, to talk to Randy about what was happening, it didn't make it any easier to actually doing it.

Mark swallowed his food and Randy asked again, "what happened? Tell me." Mark cleared his throat and began, "I made a mistake." Randy's face flashed with concern, "no, it wasn't a mistake. I meant what I said." Mark finished. "What did you say?" Randy asked, pushing his food away, suddenly not very hungry. "That I love him. I said I still loved him." Mark sighed. "I see," was all Randy could say. "This afternoon, after I talked to Jeff, I realized that what I had said was wrong. Whether I meant, or how I meant it, isn't the point, the point is that I shouldn't be playing these games with him." Randy nodded, eyes away from the man sitting across from him, "Or you." Mark added. "I'm not trying to play games here, Randy. I don't want you to feel like you're getting the raw deal here. I don't want Jeff to get hurt anymore than he already has, but I haven't forgotten about you. I don't want to hurt you either. I just tend to get myself in deeper trouble every time I open my mouth." Mark tried to joke. "So, what does this mean?" Randy asked. "If you need to talk to him again and straighten everything out, you should do that; you need to. There's no reason to leave him wondering. Jeff's a good guy and doesn't deserve to be hurting like I'm sure he still is. I'm sure that he's got a million questions running through his head right now." Mark was shocked at how calm and how genuinely concerned Randy was for Jeff's well-being. Being so collective about the situation, that he was forced into, just made Mark appreciate Randy's maturity even more.

Mark had to laugh at Randy's concern. "What's so funny?" Randy asked. "You. How are you so damned calm about this whole mess?" Mark asked him in return. "What do you mean? We're all adults in this pretty shitty situation, being jealous or acting childish about it isn't going to make anything better." Mark still couldn't believe Randy was so understanding. "Mark, I really care about you, and I appreciate your concern; it's something to hold onto in all this, but you don't need to worry about me. This has to be pretty stressful for you, so don't worry about me. I know your situation with Jeff and how important it is that you guys get things right. You guys have a lot of history to just walk away from." Mark looked down, ashamed that he'd let things get so complicated. Here he was trying to fix all of his wrongs and Randy was nothing but a trooper through it all.

"Thank you," Mark said, "for being so great through this. I know this isn't a situation you really wanted to be in, but thank you for dealing with it as best as possible." Randy gave him a small smile. Mature about the situation, he could be, but he really didn't feel too confidant about his place in it all. Mark and Jeff had something that he didn't have - history. No matter what happens, there would always be something between them, something he couldn't deny, although that isn't what I wanted. He never intended for them to forget about each other, he just figured that once they got everything out of the way, it'd leave Mark to him, if that's what Mark wanted too.

xXx

Mark noticed the hesitation in Randy and in an effort to assure the younger man of his place, he reached out and hooked his hand on the back of Randy's neck and pulled him closer to press their lips together. After a moment of hesitation on Randy's part, he quickly melted into the action and allowed Mark the entrance he was looking for. Once the two parted for the air they both needed, Mark stood up, Randy's hand in his and led them both to the bed. Mark sat Randy near the corner of the bed and walked behind him. Slowly, Mark used his talented hands to work out the tension and stiffness in his neck and soon Randy was slumping against him in relaxation. As Mark tried to continue his ministrations, he told Randy to remove the shirt he had one so that he could get better access. After Randy did as he was asked, Mark continued to rub the knots and kinks out. Before he knew it, Mark found himself trailing kisses from Randy's ear to the nape of his neck and across his shoulders, as his hands began roaming on their own accord.

"Is this okay?" Mark asked, after the discussion they had just had, he didn't want to put Randy into the position to do something he may not want to do. "I was pretty tired, but I think I can manage a little time for this." Randy said as he stood up, kicked off his shoes, unbuckled his jeans and slid them down his sculpted quads and let them fall into a pile with his discarded shirt, leaving him in his boxer briefs. He sat at the top of the bed and with his arms folded under his head, waited for Mark to follow.

Mark removed his own clothing and left himself with only his boxer briefs as well. He moved so that he straddled the smaller man and dipped his head down to catch his lips once more. Randy's arm moved to the back of Mark's neck and guided it to his neck as he moved his mouth to Mark's. Mark's tongue lavished the spots that he'd just nipped at and with one hand pushed Randy's head up so that he could attack his Adam's apple and show it the same treatment he had to his neck. After a moment doing that, Mark moved further down his body and allowed Randy to enjoy the attention he was showing his chest and pecs. Smiling down at Randy, who was enjoying the friction his movements were doing to him, Mark slid his mouth over his naval and nipped at the taut skin as he shimmied the boxer briefs down, exposing his flesh little by little. Just before he fully exposed him, Mark cupped the member and then ran his hand roughly across it, eliciting a hiss from the Viper. Mark smirked at the effect his actions were causing. He continued this motion a few more times, roughly pushing down on Randy's hardness and then moving his hand across it again, earning more hisses and groans, loving the way Mark's actions hurt so good. Quickly, Mark changed his actions from rough and fast to soft and slow. He rubbed just the tip, through the material, with a light touch, and smiled again when Randy's hips moved up into his hand, hoping for more contact.

When Mark realized that Randy was far passed the point of no return, he moved back up the length of his body and with one hand still teasing him below, he turned his attention to Randy's mouth. Mark's tongue made its way into Randy's slacked mouth and made sure to note the velvety feel of his against Randy's. Mark pulled back and moved to the side of his face and whispered into his ear, "are you sure you want this? We don't have to keep going." Randy sucked in the cold air as he felt the hot breath of Mark's whisper on his ear and neck. He smirked, "no, we definitely need to finish this now." Mark smiled, that was all that he needed to hear. "Now stop with the fucking teasing and finish what you started." After another heated kiss, Mark moved back down his body to finish what he had started, "whatever you say, Orton."

Mark pulled the boxer briefs down and off of the man underneath him, and before taking the head of Randy's throbbing cock into his mouth, he licked just the tip and blew on it softly, enjoying the look on his face as he did so. With Randy writhing under him, Mark took the whole length into his hot mouth and started to suck softly. Hearing the groans and moans coming from Randy, only encouraged his actions. Soon, Mark's mouth was working and sucking harder on Randy's length. Randy unable to keep his movements under control moved his hand and tangled it in Mark's hair, urging him to move faster. He could feel his hips starting to buck against Mark's mouth and he couldn't keep his sounds contained any more, "fuck! Mark... shit." Hearing Randy continued to fuel Mark and soon he was reaching for his own painfully hard cock, looking for relief. "Ugh. Yeah. Fuck. Yes." Randy shouted, "Mark... fuck, i'm so close, just..." Mark picked up his pace, his own hand grabbing, squeezing and tugging on his member to keep up. "Ugh. Yeah, Mark. Fuck." Randy bucked up, his release emptying into Mark's mouth.

When he was completely spent, Mark sat up and used his free hand to keep his balance as he pushed his tongue into Randy's open mouth. Randy broke away from Mark's mouth and let his hand slide down Mark's body and take over his motions. Mark let his mouth roam over Randy's neck again and allowed him to take over. Randy's hand wrapped around Mark's cock and slid up and down on it. He stopped for a moment and allowed himself to run his thumb over the tip and then used just his thumb and index finger to tug from just under the head. "Stop fucking teasing already," Mark warned through short breaths, "get me off already." Randy grabbed Mark by the base of his thick shaft and began jerking his hand at a quicker pace, trying to get him off, "whatever you say, Callaway." Mark rested his head against Randy's shoulder and moaned, "come on, Randy. Faster. Shit." Randy quickened his pace again then suddenly pushed Mark back onto the bed, yanked off his boxer briefs and took the entire length into his mouth and sucked hard. The whole act took Mark by surprise at first, but soon Randy had him moaning and swearing, his hand now at the back of Randy's head, guiding him. Mark lifted his head and saw Randy's head bobbing up and down on his cock, cheeks hallowed out. One hand held the base of Mark's prick and with the other; he let his fingers whisper over the skin of Mark's hip and the sex lines that formed a 'V' shape. The sight was enough to drive Mark over the edge and he came, shouting Randy's name and he felt him swallow all that he had spilled.

"Shit, Randy." Mark said when he was finally able to regain control of his breathing. "Good?" Randy asked. Mark chuckled, "pretty fucking incredible." Randy laughed as he slid up to Mark's side to lay his head on the crook of his shoulder. "Well, maybe next time I'll put a little more effort into and see how you like that." Mark turned his head to look at Randy, "the night is young." Randy laughed, "you're insatiable, Mark. Thought old guys couldn't go for very long?" This time Mark laughed, "we can test that theory, if you'd like." Randy yawned and moved closer to Mark, "give me a minute, and you got it."

Mark yawned too and when he looked down again, Randy's eyes were shut and his breathing was even, telling Mark he was asleep. "yeah. _I'm _the one who can't keep up, huh?" Mark moved and twisted around, trying not to wake him, and finally managed to get the blanked over them. Mark turned on his side and draped his arm across Randy's chest. His last thought before sleep took over him was how incredibly important it was to make sure that Randy wasn't going to end up getting hurt. No matter how much he said that he didn't need to worry about him, Mark knew that that wouldn't be possible. Randy had a firm grasp on him now and he wasn't ready to screw everything up with him as well.

* * *

_Happy Thanksgiving. hope everyone had a great and safe holiday._

_alright. another chapter posted. looking forward to **REVIEWS**. as fellow writers, you all know that fuzzy feeling you get when you see a new **REVIEW** on one of your stories. _

_i had a bit of trouble writing this, lost a little confidence, but i'm happy with it. i hope you all enjoy it. please say so in your **REVIEW! **also, i tried a different style of writing. i noticed in my last chapter that everything was way too spaced out. hope this is a little better. well, go **REVIEW! **thanks so much. really appreciate it._

_-ftlow_


	18. Chapter 18

Randy was the first to wake in the morning, usually it was Mark who was dragging him out of bed. He hadn't gotten a whole lot of sleep though. As comfortable as he was with Mark, he couldn't settle his mind enough to sleep. Every time he woke, Randy spent the night switching between staring up at the ceiling and staring at Mark. With a sigh, he shifted himself so that he could see the clock on the nightstand.

"It's too early," he heard Mark say. Randy turned his head to look at him. He smirked when he saw that Mark's eyes were still closed. "You hardly slept last night." Mark said. Randy sat up, "yeah, couldn't sleep very well." This time Mark sighed, "yeah. I can imagine you have a lot on your mind that would keep you up." Leaning his forearms on his knees, Randy asked "If you were awake, why didn't you ever say anything?" Mark turned on his side, "I figured you needed some time to think about whatever it was you were thinking about." He obviously knew what had kept Randy up, but he wanted Randy to say so first. "Yeah," was all that he got from him. Randy stood up and walked around the bed, "I think I need a hot shower."

When the bathroom door closed Mark sat up and could feel all of the guilt of everything he'd done and said in recent memory wash over him. He sat there and tried to think of something to do or say to Randy when he got out, but nothing came to mind. He wasn't sure what had happened just now, but the normally cool, calm and collected Randy he was used to seemed to have vanished. He wasn't the type to bottle what was on his mind, so if he was holding back, that meant that he was really concerned over everything. Mark, for the first time, realized exactly how much this whole situation bothered Randy. Of course he knew that it did, it had to, but he didn't get how much until just now.

Mark was shaken from his thoughts when his cell phone rang. "Hello?" he answered after seeing who it was. "'Morning, Take, calling to see if you wanted a lift to the show tonight?" Mark thought for a moment, "yeah, thanks." Chris laughed, knowing the answer to the question he was about to ask, "do you have a car?" Mark's eyebrows furrowed, Chris always came with a catch. "Randy has a car, I don't. Don't you have one?" Chris smiled to himself, "I did, but Phil already offered to give the Hardy Boys a ride. I figured you wouldn't want to be stuck in a car for hours with you-know-who." That was the last thing Mark wanted right now, especially when he knew it would be far too much trouble for the whole five minutes he would spend in front of the crowd. "So is this you telling me I need to rent a car for us?" Mark asked, "No, big guy, I got this one, but you owe me one." Chris answered. "You got it, Chris. Thanks for looking out," Mark told him. "See you later."

Once Mark had hung up his phone, he noticed that the water was no longer running. A few moments later Randy came out, "who was that?" Mark looked away, feeling awkward after the the conversation they had just had, seeing Randy in just his boxer-briefs. "That was Chris. Wanted to know if I needed a ride." Randy dressed in the corner of the room, also feeling a little shy. "Oh, if he's looking for company, there's plenty of room in our car," Randy said. Mark looked up at a fully dressed Orton and replied "I thought I'd leave the car here with you. You'll have the whole day to gallivant around town with Rhodes and DiBiase before they head home." Orton sat on the bed that was still made, "I thought I'd tag along with you today. Visit with the Blue Team." Mark stood up to gather his stuff to take his shower and get ready, "You don't need to, there won't be much to do anyway. I'm not doing much, just a quick gong, chokeslam, eye roll." Randy nodded and with sarcasm said, "you don't want me to go because you won't have much to do and will be free most of the day?" Mark answered him, "I'm just saying it won't be too exciting of a trip. Of course, you're always welcome to tag along." Randy nodded again, "Or is it because you know Jeff will be there and you don't want me around in case something happens?" Mark stopped what he was doing so that he could look at Randy. Randy sighed, "nevermind. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I'll stay behind and let you go and do your thing." The look that Mark gave Randy was one of confusion, "What do you think would happen?" With a shrug Randy said again, "nevermind, Mark. That was a cheap shot."

Not knowing what to think or respond with, Mark just turned and walked into the bathroom.

xXx

"Jeff, get up already. We're running late, you gotta get dressed." Matt told his younger brother. Jeff groaned and with much pain in his body, he got up and did a groggy scan of the room for his bag. When he spotted his bag, he got up, grabbed it and made his way into the bathroom to shower and change.

_Just gotta get through the day, Jeff. You should try and talk to him though. I love him. He should know that I still love him. He said he loved me. Maybe this will all work out for the best. Maybe this thing with Randy isn't as solid as he wants to think. Yeah right, Nero. Mark wouldn't do that. He wouldn't use him. But don't let that discourage you. I need to give it a shot._

xXx

"Randy, we have to leave in twenty minutes, will you please get ready?" Mark hoped that he could convince Randy to change his mind and go with him to the tapings. "I already told you, Mark, I'm not going. What I said was stupid; I trust you completely." Mark walked over to the table where randy was using his laptop. He leaned back against the table's edge and with gentle hand, pushed the computer shut. "Please, Randy. I don't care about what was said earlier. I still want you to come with me. You were right; I'm going to have a lot of free time and you know I can only take so much from Chris and Glen and everyone other than yourself. Please?" Randy smiled and leaned back against his chair, "and how am I supposed to show you that I trust you?" Mark laughed, "Orton, you're a young man in a very complicated situation that is a bit out of your control. We had a rough night, last night. Well, not all of the night, but you know what I mean," Mark nudged Randy's knee with his and then continued, "I just want to get past this, okay? Let me handle the stuff with Jeff and we can move on." With a shake of his head, Randy said, "momentary lapse of composer on my part. It won't happen again. I trust you, I know you'll handle everything with Jeff, however you two see fit, and we'll figure everything out from there." Mark nodded in agreement with the plans, "I'll get ready." Randy said.

xXx

"Chris, if you kick the back of my seat just once more, I'm going back there and kicking your ass out of the window." Mark threatened. Randy laughed as Chris desperatetly tried to keep his legs from kicking the back of Mark's seat as he tried to get comfortable. "If this damned car had just a little more room, I wouldn't be... hitting... your seat." Chris 'ahh'ed as he finally found a comfortable position. "You could have sat up here, like I suggested. You would have been more comfortable." Randy told him. Mark gave Randy a look, "no way, I don't want him up here unless he's driving." Randy laughed. "And by the way, aren't you the one who asked if I needed a lift tonight? I assumed that meant you were driving as well." Chris opened his eyes to stare at Mark in the rearview mirror, "I would have, had loverboy here not joined us and you two offered your rental vehicle." Randy moved his seat back a little, just to annoy Chris and keep him from enjoying the position he had found. Mark smiled over at him and reached for his hand. "Hey. Siegfried and Roy, both hands where I can see them, please." Chris muttered. Mark groaned, "you're such an ass sometimes, Chris. You know that?" Mark groaned. With a laugh Chris retorted, "It's all out of love, you know that." Shaking his head, Randy laid his seat back so that he could lay back, and by doing so, managed to keep Chris from getting much rest during their drive.

xXx

While Mark was in a meeting with Vince, Phil and a couple of the writers, Randy made himself comfortable on the couch in Mark's lockerroom and soon found himself doozing off. Randy had been resting comfortably when he heard knocking at the door. Standing up, Randy ran a hand through his short hair and opened the door.

"Oh." Jeff had psyched himself into finding Mark's room and was determined to talk to him. "Hey, Jeff." Randy said, more than a little surprised to see the rainbow haired warrior standing in front of him. "Uh, sorry. I was looking.. i'm sorry. Didn't think you'd be here. Didn't mean to bother you." Jeff said, fumbling over his words. It had taken all of his courage, something he didn't have a whole lot of recently, to come and talk to Mark, and here he was standing in front of Randy Orton. The last man he wanted to see. "Are you lookng for Mark?" Randy asked, "he's in a meeting right now with Vince." He looked down at his watch,"but i'm sure he'll be back soon. He's been gone for about twenty minutes." Jeff shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You're welcome to wait for him." Jeff's breath caught in his chest and he struggled to respond. He really didn't want to be in a room, alone with Randy for too long. He wasn't sure what he'd do, but he was sure it wasn't something good. "I don't think so, thanks though." Randy moved to make room for Jeff to walk into the room, "please, Jeff, things don't have to be this way. I'll leave you two to talk, if that's what you'd like." Taking a step back before his body reacted before his mind could tell him to stop, Jeff shook his head, "no, I don't think I should. I probably shouldn't. It'd be for the best if I didn't." Randy took a moment before answering, "look Jeff... Mark told me everything that happened between the two of you. I don't know what you have to say about it, and I honestly am not that interested in hearing it. This whole deal is between the two of you and I'll leave it up to you and Mark to handle it however it ends up handled." Jeff fought his urge to run away from the situation, but he decided that he needed to stand up for himself and not be fooled by Randy's cool demeanor, maybe if he acted like he wasn't worried about Randy, it'd give him the impression that he should be worried about Jeff not giving up. "You're right. It's up to Mark and I to figure out how to handle it all, so I think it's best if you stayed out of it as much as possible." This time, Randy was a little taken back by what was being said. Instead of having a civil conversation, Jeff was intent on making his point any way he saw fit. "Mark and I have a lot of history, and that's something that you can't just forget about. I don't know what you guys have going on, but I think Mark has things to sort out and I'm not going to run away from him this time. Not anymore." Randy was stunned, he wasn't ready for Jeff to take on such a confrontational demeanor about this. He nodded, "I understand. I suppose you're right then, it would be for the best if you left now and came back later, when Mark's through with his meeting." Randy stood straight and tall, not intimidated by Jeff's words, "I'll let him know you were looking for him." Jeff nodded and turned to return to the lockerroom.

Randy shut the door and with a heavy heart realized that whatever friendship he had hoped would be salvaged between Jeff and himself was totally out of the window now. He wasn't quite expecting the reaction he had recieved, but he couldn't blame Jeff for wanting to fight for Mark. And that is what he was doing; in the hours between their talk yesterday and just now, Jeff had decided that it was worth all the effort and friendships to get Mark back. Mark was really worth it.

xXx

"Hey kid, get up, I'm starving." Randy opened his eyes to see Mark hovering above him. Mark sat down on the edge of the couch and smiled down at Randy; he leaned in to catch a quick kiss, but instantly knew something was wrong. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked. Randy sat up, "nothing is wrong, Mark, but Jeff stopped by earlier. He needed to talk to you and it seemed important. I think maybe you should go talk to him." Randy tried not to show too much emotion as he spoke. Mark had a knack for knowing when something wasn't right. He didn't want him to give away too much and have Mark persuade him into spilling.

"I see," Mark said, trying to read Randy for anything he could be hiding. After a moment, Mark spoke again, "well, I'm sure I'll see him later. Let's go. I'm hungry." Randy stood up, "Okay." Mark sensed that he was still a little uneasy, "If it's really important, than he'll come talk to me later. Right now though, I'm hungry, so let's go get something to eat." Mark stood up and headed to the door. "Are you coming?" Randy laughed to himself, "yeah, I'm coming."

xXx

"Come on Jeff," Matt was getting tired of hearing his brother go on and on about how he made mistakes in his past and that they had cost him his relationship with Mark. "You were there, Matt, you heard him say what he said. I'm not going to sit back and let him getaway. Nope, not this time. I'm going to fight for him. I have to. Maybe that's what he wants? What do you think, Matty?" Matt laughed at his younger brother, "I think maybe you got a little upset seeing Randy here with Mark, and whatever you two said to eachother bothered you enough to attack that vending machine down the hall. So now, you're all hyped up on sugar." Jeff glared at Matt, "funny. Now, please, can we be serious for a minute?" Fixing his hair, Matt sat down next to Jeff and with his arm around his shoulder said, "if you want him and honestly think that Mark has even one ounce of love for you still, then yeah, fight for him. You just have to remember that Mark is in a relationship now, he's in a relationship with someone you consider a friendm keep in mind, and you need to take everyone's feelings into consideration before you do anything. You know that rushing into this and hurting either Mark or Randy isn't going to get you anywhere." Jeff thought about what Matt said and then nodded in agreement, "I know he still loves me and yeah, I know I need to be careful, but if I don't do this, if I don't try all of those years were for nothing." Matt pitied his brother, the poor guy really loved Mark and until Mark was his again, he was going to be hurting. _If he gets Mark back_.

xXx

Randy listened to his friends talk about something that had happened at the tapings the week before. "The Smackdown! crew really has a lot more fun than the RAW boys." Randy said. Dave nodded, "I'm sure Hunter has everybody walking on eggshells, right?" "Yeah, he does, but with Vince running around like a chicken without a head, every one tries to keep a low profile most of the time." Phil laughed, "even you? I doubt that you need to worry about behaving around the boss." Chris jumped into the open seat next to Randy. "Please Randy, you don't do any scowering in corners. You're a big dog now, just like me." Randy smirked, "Well, you're right about that, I don't scower in corners, and we do love to screw around a lot and have fun, but I try to stay out of any big trouble. I don't want Vince or Hunter on my back or worrying about me doing something stupid." Mark nodded, "That's right, trouble is not something you need to get into. You've caused enough headaches before, I think you're through." "Yes, try to be more like me." Chris added. All the men at the table laughed, "says the guy who punched a fan and mangaed to grab the attention of TMZ. A true role-model." Punk said with a playful shove.

xXx

"Dad, I'm fine, don't worry about me, okay? I can handle this." Randy chatted with his father while Mark walked out of the bathroom. "Yeah, I know you do. I've got to go, i'll talk to you soon. I love you too, bye." Mark finished dressing and then asked, "and who in the hell was that, may I ask?" "My dad, smartass." Randy answered. With a smirk Mark looked back at Randy, "how is Cowboy doing?" "He's good other than the usual: Sore all the time. Back gives him a little trouble. His knees are bad." Randy shrugged. Mark nodded in agreement, "that's pretty bad. Your father and I suffer from the same ailments." Mark laughed and then noticed the look on Randy's face, "you're right. That is pretty bad and really weird." he said. "Well, too late, Orton. You've made your decision. Now you're stuck with me." Mark said with a smile, but not completely liking Randy's response to his joke. Randy stood and walked over to Mark and wrapped his arm around the bigger man's shoulders. "Relax, kid. I'm just teasing. You aren't that old." he said with a pat on the chest. "_That_ old?" Mark asked, "are you implying that I am old though?" Randy smiled, "that's right. You've got nothing to worry about though, I kind of like you." With a shake of his head and a small laugh Mark headed to the door, "you're asking for it, punk. Let's go before I decide to give it to you." The Viper, ever so sly, walked towards him and stood directly in front of him, nearly chest to chest, "I've had my doubts about that, old man. I don't think that you can give it anymore. At least not as good as I can." Randy smirked and pushed out his lips a bit, looking directly into Mark's eyes. "Keep that up and we won't make it downstairs, Randy. I'm sure you've already noticed what that Viper thing does to me." "Getting a little hot and bothered?" Orton asked, moving and catching Mark's lips in a hot and dominating kiss. He bit and pushed his way into Mark's mouth to taste what was uniquely him. Not letting Mark take control, he pushed the bigger man up against the wall and continued his assault. When he could fill Mark's hands begin to roam, he pulled away. Content with Mark showing some sort of weakness to him, he opened and walked out the door, indeed leaving Mark hot and bothered. "You coming?" he asked. "I walked right into that. You're making me make silly mistakes, Orton. That's a dangerous thing." Mark said to him, walking out and trying to regain his composure. "Just want to know that I can." Randy said with a smile.

xXx

"No, Chris, I must say that my goatee was so much better than yours. I hated it, but it really was much better than yours. Have you ever watched that segment with the two of us? No question about it. I was a stud even with that hideous thing. You just looked ridiculous." Mark told Chris, to the laughter of the other people around them. "No way, Mark. Mine was amazing; it looked great and it looked great on me." Chris argued. "Can we please not have to go through this everytime we get together?" Glen pleaded. This was not the first time Mark and Chris had had this particular debate.

"Hey, what's up guys? Are you guys slowing down on me? Not up for going out anymore?" Matt called out to the small group of people as he made his way to the bar. While he did that Ron Killings, Shane Helms, Layla and Tiffany found and sat down at a booth on the opposite side of the room. "We happen to be relaxing after a very stressful night of entertaining the masses." Jay told his friend. "What's your reason for not enjoying the nightlife this fine town has to offer?" Setting down a pitcher of beer on top of the table Matt answered, "too lazy to pretty ourselves up. Here. For your much appreciated efforts, gentlemen. Have a good night." The men thanked Matt and Mark and Jay both noted to send over a pitcher when they had finished their first.

"Matty!" everyone in the bar heard someone call. While almost everyne had turned to look who was shouting, Mark didn't need to; he knew that voice. Randy turned as everyone else had and then turned to the drink in his hand. He wasn't interested in any type of incidents occurng so he was more than happy to not draw any attention to himself. Seeing Randy's face, Mark gave his knee a small squeeze under the table and smiled at him when Randy looked up to meet his eyes.

"What's up, Jeffro?" Matt asked walking towards him. "Dad needs to ask you something about his appointment tomorrow. Bad reception though, so take it out here. You can barely hear him." Matt nodded to his brother and grabbed the phone. Jeff patted his brother on the back and then made his way into the bar. Jeff first noticed his friends Phil and Jay, so he walked directly to their table to greet them. As he got closer to the booth, he noticed that both Randy and Mark were there as well. Listening to Matt's words from earlier, Jeff decided that playing nice was going to get him a lot further than being an asshole would.

Jeff came up behind Chris and said his hello's to Chris, Glen, Phil and Jay and then turned to Randy and Mark. "Jeff." Mark said, being polite. "Hey Jeff." Randy said, following Mark's example. "Hi. How's it going?" Jeff said looking at them, but addressing the group. "Just having a little drink." Glen said. "They're having drinks, i'm having my Pepsi." Phil corrected him. "Of course," Jeff said with a smile and nod. "You guys heading back to NC tomorrow?" Jay asked. "Yeah. Gonna do a little filming for The Hardy Show. Maybe shoot a shoot on Philly for taking my title." Everyone at the table laughed, with the exception of Randy and Mark. "Aw, come on guys, loosen up. I can laugh at my own loss. I'll get it back eventually." Mark gave Jeff a small smile and got one in return. Randy, although trying his best not to be awkward, or at least trying not to let it show, was trying to figure out what had happened to the angry and confrontational Jeff Hardy he had spoken with earlier. He was fine with being civil, it's what he had wanted to begin with and what he had hoped for when he urged Mark to try and work things out, but he was also wary of letting his gaurd down too much.

After a little more small talk, Jeff said his goodbyes, wished them all safe travels and then joined his friends at their booth.

"Well, that wasn't too bad." Glen said in regards to Jeff's presence. After a short pause Chris spoke up, "Now i've completely forgotten the story I was going to tell you all." All the men at the table cheered and threw their napkins at him.

xXx

After another couple of hours of drinking, laughing and story telling, Mark, Randy, Chris, Phil, Glen and Jay decided to call it a night. "Hey Randy," Mark said, pulling him aside. "You can say no, okay?" Mark told him. "I'm gonna go over and see what Jeff wanted to talk about earlier." Randy sighed and then gave a small smirk, "you can talk to him all you want, Mark. I've already told you that and you don't need to ask. You're a grown man and you don't need my permission." "No, I know I don't, but I also don't want to do anything that will make you fill uncomfortable. You're sure you're okay with this? You can say no, and you and I will go back to the room and finish what you started." Mark joked. "That sounds good, but you should go talk to him. Maybe after." Randy winked.

xXx

Mark watched Randy, Chris and the others head towards the elevator and when they were out of sight, he turned around to talk to Jeff. When he turned around and looked up, he caught Jeff staring directly at him. Jeff turned to his brother and excused himself from the table, "I'll be back in a minute." Matt nodded and gave Jeff a look of warning to not do anything stupid.

In a few, quick strides Jeff was by Mark's side and as if nothing had ever happened between the two, Mark just smiled down at him and after returning the smile Jeff started out into the hotel lobby, Mark just at his side. It was nearly three in the morning so there was no one other than a cleaning lady and the clerk at the front desk who were talking to eachother. Mark led Jeff to a couch were they both took a seat. "I hear you stopped by my locker room today." Mark began. "Something you wanted to talk about?" Jeff tied his hair back and then said, "yeah, I wasn't sure if Randy had told you." "He did." Mark said. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked, knowing what the answer was. "Do you even need to ask?" Jeff laughed. "So...?" "So, what's going on?" Jeff finished for him. Mark sighed, "I meant everything that I said to you, if that's what you were wondering." "I was and I'm glad to hear that because I've always felt the same." Jeff quietly replied, his head hung low. Mark reached over and lifted his chin up, "I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, Jeffrey. Always hold your head up strong."

xXx

Mark and Jeff sat and talked for an hour, not about anything they thought they'd be talking about, but about everything besides that. They were both able to relax around each other and without thinking, Mark reached his arm over and rested it over the back of the couch. Jeff wanted to lean into Mark, like he had a million times before, but this certainly wasn't like those other times and Mark doing that simple movement reminded Jeff exactly how different this was. "Are we going to sit here and pretend like there is no elephant in the room?" Jeff finally asked. Mark took a deep breath and then slowly let it out, "Jeff, I'm no mind reader, what is it you want to talk about exactly?" Jeff searched for what he wanted to say, what he wanted to ask and what he wanted to know. A million thoughts ran though his mind and he was getting dizzy trying to sort them all. As he often did, Jeff opened his mouth and hoped something made sense, "Forget about Randy." Mark groaned and shifted in his seat. "Hear me out, Mark. You said that you meant what you said to me yesterday and you know how I feel about you. That's never changed." Jeff reasoned. "What do you expect me to do, Jeff? Just drop him and pretend like nothing ever happened?" Mark questioned. "No, I don't expect that. I just want you to give me another chance." Jeff said. "Please. You know there is still something between us. How can you deny that?

xXx

A little after 4:00am, Randy woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. After reading the message, he assumed that Dave was somewhere drunk with a cell phone in his hand. He scanned the room and figured that Mark was still out talking with Jeff. In all honesty, he didn't mind that Mark was with Jeff. Throughout the day, aside from the thing with Jeff at the arena, he felt comfortable with where he stood with Mark. He figured as long as Mark and Jeff were good, then Mark would feel less guilty about their relationship. He knew that Mark felt guilty about them and if they didn't patch things up he always would. _It's for the best, right? He needs to get over Jeff, not just for me, but for himself._

Randy got up from the bed and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini bar. He moved to the television to grab the remote before heading back to the bed. After flipping through all of the channels twice, Randy was starting to feel restless. He grabbed his water and got up. He walked to the window and opened it just enough to look out to the street. He felt a lump in his throat at what he saw. _Shit. _He thought._ Don't take him away, Jeff._

xXx

"Fuck. I need a smoke." Jeff said, still trying to convince Mark that he deserved another chance. "Can we talk outside for a while?" Mark sighed, "those things are going to kill someday, you know?" Jeff stood up, "yeah, well, not today they're not." Outside, they walked around to the side of the hotel and sat down at a bench near the hotel's garden.

"Well?" Jeff asked, lighting his cigarette. "Jeff, please don't ask me to do this." Mark pleaded with him. "We've already established that, yes, I do still love you, but I don't know that it's still the love you're looking for. So please, I'm asking, i'm begging you to not push this anymore." Jeff looked away from Mark and blew out a puff of smoke. "Mark, you're asking me not to pursue this because you know that it's right. I get that you don't want to hurt Randy, he's a good guy, I know, but I can't just sit back and watch as you and Randy play house and do everything that I want to do with you." Mark threw his hands in the air, "We had that, Jeff. And you let it go. I let it go. We let things get too bad and we lost what we had. I'm sorry for everything, Jeff, I've apologized a million times and i'll apologize a million more times just to get you to forgive me, but dammit Jeff, don't ask me to leave Randy for you now. I was yours all those years, but you never let me in completely. Why would this time be any different?" Jeff butted out his cigarette and tossed it into the ashtry next to him. With moist eyes, he looked at Mark, "I forgive you, Mark. And I know that i'm just as at fault for everything that happened, but please, I'm just asking for a chance." Mark shook his head, "We're getting no where with this, Jeffro." Jeff was so close to crying, but he held in the tears, "I don't know what else I can do, Mark. I love you and that's all I can offer to get you to just give me a chance again. I love you, I just need you to have enough faith in me to give me another chance. The last time, Mark. I promise." Jeff leaned against his knees and held his head in his hands. Mark hurt for hurting Jeff and making him feel the way he did. Mark wasn't sure what to do, he was afraid that he'd do something that would send the wrong message to Jeff. He sighed and put his arm around Jeff's shoulders. When he felt the small trembles coming from the small man, he moved a bit closer and moved his hand to the top of Jeff's head where he pushed back the hair that had fallen loose. "I'm sorry," Mark whispered to him.

xXx

_Shit. Don't take him away, Jeff. _Randy thought to himself, watching his spot with Mark slip away._ Just give me chance, Mark. _

* * *

_Hope everyone's holidays were spent well! I'm a little late, but my well wishes to you still._

New year, new chapter. Please REVIEW! I want to know if this is still keeping everyone's attention. I know I've probably lost some readers because of the long time between new chapters. Please forgive me. I'm still trying to bust this one out as well as I can.

_Randy Orton and Taker are so much tougher to write than I thought. LOL. I'm hoping to push past that and up the quality of my writing though. Anyway, REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!_

_Thanks,  
FortheLoveofWrestling_


	19. Chapter 19

"Look, Randy. We need to talk. I feel like a real dick, and this has just been eating away at me, and I need to get it off my chest before something bad happens." Mark said, ready to bust at the seams with guilt. Randy's brows furrowed as he sat there waiting the inevitable. "Alright. Shoot." he said. With a sigh, Mark started, "last night when I was talking with Jeff, that wasn't all that we did."

xXx

With his head hung low, Randy walked away from the window. Watching the two interact in such a way made him feel like a voyeur; he was watching something that he shouldn't be watching,

"Why can't you give me just one more chance?" Jeff asked, his tear streaked face, with red puffy eyes looked at Mark. Mark wasn't sure what to say. He knew what he should say and what he wanted to say, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it. "Jeff, why do you have to make this so damned hard for me?" he asked, "I just want us to be okay. What happened before was all mistake, but I can't take it back and I can't give up on what I have right now." Jeff stood up, "fine. I get it. You don't want to hurt Randy, and you're right, he shouldn't get caught in this, but I want you to know that I can't just give up on this." Jeff started to walk away, but turned around and stood directly in front of Mark, who was still sitting. "Mark, you used to tell me that if I got my act together, got clean and focused, I could do anything I wanted. Do you still believe that?" Mark thought for a moment, "Yeah, I do. I've always believed in you, Jeff. You know that." Jeff smiled and nodded. He took a moment and looked around where there were and then looked up at the building in front of him, but of course, no one was around. "I'm clean now. And I know what I want." Jeff said firmly, and then he swiftly leaned down and kissed Mark. Mark thought of every reason to pull back and push Jeff away, but as he tried doing so, he gave into the kiss and returned it.

Jeff smiled at the reaction he got and pulled away. After what seemed like hours, but was only seconds, Mark stood up and gently pushed Jeff away from him. "I don't know what you're thinking, Jeff, but whatever it is, don't do it. I'm happy and I just want us to get past our problems. This, whatever it is you're thinking, isn't what I want. I hope that you can respect that Jeff. You're a great guy who deserves to be happy." Mark turned his back to Jeff and started making his way back to the front of the hotel. "But you make me happy, Mark." he heard Jeff say. He turned around and gave Jeff a quick look before continuing.

_What the hell have you done now, Mark?_

xXx

Mark gently opened the door to his and Randy's hotel room and when he saw Randy, he immediately felt guilty seeing him lying on his side of the bed, still waiting for Mark to return. Mark looked at the clock on the night stand and then headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

When he heard the door to the bathroom close, Randy stirred and heard the shower running. He turned and noticed the bed was still unruffled, so that meant that Mark hadn't slept there. He looked at the clock next to him. _7:00a.m.?_

Randy shook his head. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Mark wasn't the type of guy to sleep around, so he was sure that at least that hadn't happened. He was worried though; could Mark and Jeff really have talked all night? _Yes._ He thought, of course they could have. He knew how amazing Mark could be to talk to and, once being attracted to the Enigma himself, he knew the allure the young man offered. With their past, their obvious feelings for each other, he figured that it was only a matter of time until Mark broke it off with him and went back to Jeff.

The Legend Killer laid back to think about everything that had led up to this and how he could have been fooled to believe that he ever had a chance. He started to think of what to say to Mark when he came out. It was usually pretty easy for him to talk to Mark, about anything, but this he had no clue how to handle.

When he had decided to just accept whatever Mark was going to say to him, he heard the water shut off and listened to the noise coming from the bathroom until Mark walked out.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" Mark said when he came out of the bathroom and saw Randy sitting up. "No," Randy said without looking up. "You didn't wake me." Mark immediately noticed, but tried to pretend that he didn't. "Sorry, I didn't comeback last night. Jeff and I had a lot of stuff to talk about." Randy nodded, "It's fine. You guys need to clear the air and straighten out whatever you guys have going on." "Randy, I know that this is really bad. It's a really bad, shitty situation," Mark spoke to him, "but I promise you that it's done with. At least as done as I can make it on my own." Burning a hole in the wall on the opposite side of the room, Randy grinned, "I know, Mark. Don't worry about it. I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt me. If you've got something to say or clear up with me, you'd just go ahead and do it." "I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt you intentionally or unintentionally, but I assure you there's nothing that I need to clear up." Mark added.

Randy nodded again, "Okay. Then everything is just fine." "Good." Mark said, "Now, get ready. We've got a long flight ahead of us."

With that, Randy got up and started getting ready to leave. They had an early flight to Texas, where they'd be staying at Mark's house.

xXx

Once seated in the plane, Mark turned to Randy. "I think I'm gonna try to sleep a little before we get to Texas." "Yeah, you look like you could use some rest," Randy said.

"Ha, isn't that the polite way of saying some looks old?" Mark joked. As worried as Randy was, he couldn't help but laugh at the older man, "yeah, it is, but I mean you actually look tired." he said. "I want to call you old, then I'd call you old." "Not too old to take you over my knee, boy." Mark said. Randy smirked, "I'll have to keep that in mind." "You're horrible, you know that?" he laughed.

xXx

After both having rested on the plane, Mark and Randy headed to Mark's home. The silence that fell between them was pleasant. Randy was amazed at how comfortable he was with Mark, even with the images of him and Jeff sitting together, interacting so intimately lingering in the back of his mind. _Right now, he's with you. Don't let that fact slip away._ There wasn't anything he could say or do to make himself completely worry-free, but that didn't deter how easily he could forget about all of that for the moment.

"Finally. Home sweet, home." Mark said as he opened his door to get out. Randy was the first out and walked around to the back of the car to get their bags. "Just leave them, we'll get them later." Mark told him. With a nod, Randy moved to the driver's side of the car where Mark stood. "I can't get over how amazing your house is, Mark." Mark smiled at the compliment, "I worked hard on it, thank you." He extended his arm and waited for Randy to take it. "Come on, I'm hungry." he said, walking towards the door. Mark unlocked the door and allowed Randy to go in. Randy walked into the foyer of the house and then waited for Mark to finish turning the alarm off. Once he finished that, Mark walked into the living room throwing himself onto the large, plush sofa, leaving Randy trailing behind him. "Come on, Orton," he said. "You've been here enough to not feel like a guest." Randy chuckled, "yeah, but those other times I was like some dirty secret of yours." Mark sat up at this and gave a him a quizzical look. "I'm kidding Mark, move over." Randy planted himself next to Mark. "So, do you have any food in this place or do I need to go into town?" Mark thought for a minute, "there should be food. I have a friend who comes in to clean up a little and she usually brings enough groceries to hold me over. I'd probably starve if not for her. Too lazy to go to the store on my own, is what I am." Both men laughed, after running his hand through his short hair, Randy stood up, "I'm starving too, I'll make us something." Mark smiled and desperately tried to cover up the laughter that was threatening to escape. "What?" Randy asked noticing Mark's failure to do so. "You don't think I'm capable of preparing a simple lunch?" Mark sat up and grabbed his hand to keep him from walking away. "No, no, no. It's just that, sweetheart, you don't look the type to cook anything." Randy had to laugh, "I assure you, Mark, you've no idea what I'm capable of in the kitchen," Randy told him, "or else where." he added with a smirk. "Alright, boy, go do your thing," Mark said, "just don't burn down my house, please." he yelled out as Randy made his way into the large kitchen.

Mark switched the television on and found a basketball game, soon enough though; he was dozing off to the smell of food invading his nose. "Mark!" Randy yelled, about twenty minutes later. When he didn't hear Mark's response, he went into the living room and found Mark asleep; legs propped on the coffee table, water bottle barely hanging in his grasp, one arm placed behind his head to prop it up. Randy laughed at the sight before walking close to him to shake him lightly. "Mark," he said, "Big man, wake up." Randy sighed when Mark squirmed and then settled back into sleep. "Dammit. I make lunch for you, you're going to get up." Randy said aloud to himself while stepping over Mark's legs so that one was on either side of them. "Get up, Mark." he tried again. When he didn't respond, Randy smiled to himself and rubbed his hand over his chin. Finally, he leaned down and supported himself with one hand on the arm rest and the other on the back of the sofa. Randy pressed his lips to Mark's, softly letting them linger for a moment before moving back. Again, Mark barely moved, so again, Randy leaned in and pressed his lips to Mark's, this time, however, he pressed against him with a little more force and used one hand to grip Mark's chin and allow himself entrance. After a few seconds, Mark's lips curled into a smile and he returned the kiss with as much effort, dropping the water bottle to cup the back of Orton's head. Once they parted, Mark let his head fall back against the sofa and said "from now on, if you need to wake me up, that method will do just fine." Randy laughed, "it was a last resort effort, but it did the trick." he said as he gave Mark his hand to help him up to his feet. Mark lead the way into the kitchen, "well, you didn't burn down my house. Thank you." "Funny, Mark. Sit down and eat." Orton told him, sitting down himself. After a couple of bites, Mark spoke up again, "also, Randy, next time, you don't need to hesitate before you kiss me and you should really give me a better pet name than 'big guy'." Wearing a faint smile, Randy just shook his head. "Hm. This is actually pretty good, kid." Mark added with another fork full. "You're a jerk, you know that?" was Randy's reply.

xXx

Full from what Mark described and raved as a 'delicious' lunch and jet lag, Mark and Randy decided that as wonderful as the afternoon was, a large, comfortable bed was much more appealing at the moment. Before heading upstairs for a much needed nap, Mark went back outside and grabbed the bags from the car. He carried them upstairs and into his bedroom. As he walked in, he noticed Randy already laying down in his bed; shirt off, folded nicely and left on the side table, belt on top, rolled up, and shoes tucked neatly at the base of the table. Mark couldn't help but smile at the kid's neatness. It complimented him nicely; he wasn't a slob, but he tended to let things rest where they lay and then worry about them when he was done with the true task at hand. He showed it by leaving his shoes and shirt in a trail as he made his way to rest next to Randy. His added weight caused Randy to stir a little and he quickly recognized the familiar form next to him and draped his arm across Mark's chest. Mark settled into the position and closed his eyes as he lay listening to Randy's even breath fall against his shoulder.

Mark fought himself over waking the younger man up and telling him what he needed to tell him and just giving up on sleeping simply to lay there and watch him for as long as he could. Finally, he knew he couldn't wake him up so instead he settled on watching him until his own eyes felt heavy with sleep. Before they did though, he decided that as much as he was looking forward to spending the rest of the week with Randy, he didn't want to continue lying to him. _I'll tell him when we wake up, I have to tell him tonight. Can't risk him sensing something is up and making me tell him. When we wake up..._

xXx

Feeling a faint scratch against his forehead, Randy jerked his head and swatted at the sensation. Opening his eyes he laughed to himself realizing the sensation was Mark's beard. Randy moved from Mark's grip and grabbed his cell phone from the table next to the bed. Reading the time, Randy decided it was probably time to wake up from their nap and taking Mark's suggestion into consideration; he moved closer to him and began his light-as-a-feather attack on Mark's neck. Mark squirmed in his sleep at the actions, he rolled his neck to the side and Randy smiled to himself and the new flesh he could lavish. He lowered his head to Mark's pulse point and began sucking gently, trying to leave a mark, but not wanting to wake him. "I'm already awake, so go ahead and suck harder." he heard Mark moan. Not letting the fact stop him, he continued his ministrations with more gusto. Mark took in a deep breath as he let Randy work a small, purple mark onto his skin. When Randy broke away from that, he attached his lips to Mark's where they quickly began battling for supremacy. Mark shifted his weight as he gave up one battle to start another; with skilled hands he guided Randy's hips to hover over his. In a more suitable position, Mark tore his lips away from Randy's swollen ones and thrust up against his crotch. Loving the look of lust his lover's face wore, Mark repeated the action and relished the expression he received in turn. With some regret, the Viper allowed Mark to turn them over so that he was now underneath him. Whatever regret he had though, he quickly forgot about when Mark wasted no time in ridding him of his jeans and boxer-briefs, leaving him stark nude. Mark looked up to make sure Randy was watching his every move, which of course, he was. Satisfied with the attention he smiled and started at the base of Randy's naval, kissing and nipping a trail over his taught abdominal region and up to his chiseled chest. Before continuing Mark continued up and engaged Randy in another heated kiss. When he pulled away this time, he moved to his ear and whispered to him, "thank you for coming to me when I needed you." Mark had started to work his way back down, but Randy was quick to catch his jaw in his hands and staring into his green eyes and raising his head slightly to meet his mouth, Randy gave him a smile and another passionate kiss before allowing him to continue with what he was doing. Mark's heart raced when he looked into those blue eyes once more.

xXx

As they sat through dinner, Randy could see how distracted Mark seemed. Most of the meal was eaten with the two sharing stories about the business they shared and about their families. "I don't think I've ever met your mother. I've seen her backstage with you a couple of times, but I don't think i've met her. She sounds great, you'll have to introduce me to her sometime." Randy said as Mark finished telling him a story of when he was a kid. "She'd love to meet you. She was a big fan of our story a few years ago." Randy laughed, "Was she? I've got to meet her sometime then." After a little more talk, they finished in near silence. Mark was sure that Randy could tell something was bothering him. He read like a book sometimes. Gathering the plates in his hands, Randy walked to the kitchen sink and started rinsing the dishes. Mark stood up and grabbed a couple of beers from the refrigerator and walked back towards the sliding door that led to the giant backyard. Turning to look at Randy he said, "leave those. Why don't you come outside with me?" Randy turned to him, "yeah, just a second." he washed his hands and with a lump in his throat followed Mark outside onto the patio. Mark was sitting in a large, wooden deck chair. He motioned for Randy to sit next to him and when he did, handed him the other beer. Not wanting to waste time, Mark got straight to what was eating at him.

"Look, Randy. We need to talk. I feel like a real dick, and this has just been eating away at me, and I need to get it off my chest before something bad happens." Mark said, ready to bust at the seams with guilt. Randy's brows furrowed as he sat there waiting the inevitable. "Alright. Shoot." he said. With a sigh, Mark started, "last night when I was talking with Jeff, that wasn't all that we did." Right off the bat, Randy knew this wasn't going to go well for him, but he sat and listened to what Mark had to say. Seeing the change in expression on Randy's face, Mark clarified himself. "we were outside talking and when were through, Jeff kissed me. And believe me when I say tried to fight the urge to return it, but I couldn't" he paused for a second. "...I didn't." Randy swallowed hard and turned so that he didn't have to look directly at Mark. "I immediately felt like shit for doing that to you and I told him that we couldn't be what he wanted us to be again." Mark stopped to sit forward and put his drink down, he sighed and waited for Randy to look at him, "I'm an asshole, I know that. And you have every right to believe that, but I need for you to know that I never meant for it to happen and that it's been eating at me all day. I didn't want to keep lying to you. I didn't want to run the risk of you thinking I was trying to hurt you." Randy let what Mark's words sink in; he wasn't sure what to make of it. He was extremely glad that Mark hadn't said what he thought he was going to, but his attempts at being okay with the situation were not working in his favor. Mark couldn't even resist Jeff for that small action, how was he supposed to compete with someone who still had such a strong hold on Mark?

"To be completely honest Mark, I was expecting a lot worse." Randy admitted, much to Mark's surprise. He wasn't expecting that response. "I can't say that I'm completely okay with what you've just said, because I'm not, but I really didn't expect it. I was sure that you were going to tell me that you weren't interested in our current relationship. I'm relieved, but also stuck in the same place I was before." Mark opened his mouth to speak, but thought it best to let Randy get off his chest whatever he needed to. "I've got a confession of my own. Last night, I woke up and when I realized you weren't there next to me, I thought the worst. I couldn't settle my mind and went over to the window. I looked out and was taken back by what I saw." Mark shut his eyes, fearing that Randy had already known. "I would have much rather had seen you two kissing." Randy laughed nervously. "The way you were touching him and just the general way you two were together made me feel like I was watching something I had no business watching." he paused for a moment to figure out what else he wanted to say. Mark took the opportunity to speak, "I'm sorry that you saw that, Randy. But most of all, I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. I didn't know that you were going to see us, but regardless, I should never make you feel that way." "What I'm interested in hearing, is whether you think this is even worth it?" Randy asked him. "I don't understand," Mark said. "I want to know if this, what we're doing right now, and what it seems we're always doing is worth it?" Randy had to swallow the lump in his throat to finish, "or would you rather just stop and work out whatever it is you and Jeff obviously need to work out?" Mark understood now, he turned Randy's head to look at him and looked him directly in the eyes when he answered, "you are worth it."

xXx

Jeff put down the sketch pad he held in his lap as he waited for his flight to be called. He turned his iPhone off and pulled out his earbuds, giving his racing mind a rest. He looked up from his seat and noticed Randy sitting down with Ted and Cody. He watched the three men until their flight was called. Jeff hadn't spoken with Mark all week; he wasn't sure what else he could do to get Mark's attention. He thought that he would at least try talking to him about the kiss he had planted on him, but he never did. Mark didn't say anything to him about the incident, and he figured it was because Mark was hoping to just ignore it until he could figure out something else to say to him. Although he had hoped he would get to talk to Mark again, Jeff understood that he had put Mark in an awkward position and was willing to wait until he was ready to talk about it again. Thinking of it the kiss they shared, Jeff could remember how familiar the kiss had been. He sat smiling to himself at the feeling it brought to him. He couldn't give up yet. Jeff thought maybe he needed a new plan of attack. Seeing Randy by himself, Jeff decided to go over and talk to him. Maybe he could get through to Randy who must be feeling weird about the whole situation.

"Hey man, what's going on?" he said sitting beside the Viper. "Hey Jeff." Randy said extending his hand to him. "How're you doing? Heard you tweaked your knee

on Monday." Jeff asked. "Yeah, I did, but it's nothing too bad. How about you, how're you doing?" Randy asked in return. He felt a little uncomfortable, but thought maybe he would see where it led. Jeff tried to read Randy's reaction and body language, but he wasn't giving anything up. "I'm alright. Usual aches and pains, but I'm dealing with them." he answered. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that." Randy responded. "Yeah. So where's Mark? Haven't seen him all week." Jeff asked getting to his point. "He actually took a flight home last night. Gunnar had a basketball tournament this weekend." he stated. In that moment, Jeff felt a bit of pity for Randy. He didn't know how he felt about it, but he sure did remember what it felt like when Mark left him to be with his family. "Oh, that's cool man." was what Jeff could manage. Refocusing, Jeff continued. "Look Randy, I don't know if Mark told you what happened the other night, but I gotta tell you man, there's a lot of stuff going on between us and..." "Let me stop you right there, alright? He did tell me. He told me everything I needed to know, so I don't think there's anything you need to say to me right now." Randy said interrupting him. "No, I think there is. You need to give him some space. We need to work this out and we both know Mark is too nice of a guy to want to hurt anybody and do what needs to be done." Jeff tried convincing Randy that they needed time to work out their problems, but he wasn't taking the bait. "I'm not getting in the middle of this. This is your business and I trust that Mark will work it out with you as best as he can." Randy said. Getting frustrated, Jeff stood up in front of Randy. Not one to back down, Randy did the same. Sticking his finger in his chest, Jeff kept up. "Look, Randy, we didn't ask for this to happen. Yeah, we both screwed up, but how can you not see that we both still care about each other. I love him, he loves me and I know you know that. Why don't you make it a little easier on him and just let us work this out on our terms. Maybe you can't see it, but I know this is really tearing him up." Starting to feel his own anger and frustration build up Randy tried to calm himself down before he responded. "I do know how he feels about you, Jeff. But if you're thinking i'm just going to hand him over to you, we both know that isn't going to happen. I've kept my nose out of your business and I'd appreciate it if you'd do the same. If Mark decides it's you he wants to be with then I will not try to stop him. He's a grown man who can handle his own affairs appropriately." Realizing this was another failed attempt, Jeff decided not to push it any further, however he was going to make his point clear once more. "This isn't some game to me; I care about Mark a lot and it seems like you do too, so you know I can't just drop this. Not until he's given me another chance." By this time the other couple of wrestlers in the area were watching them, ready to intervene if needed. Randy looked away from Jeff and to the other guys and nodded in their direction, letting them know everything was okay. "I know you do, but I hope you'll respect his decision." Jeff just smirked and nodded as he turned and walked away. He was sure that Randy wouldn't say anything to Mark, but it just sunk in how willing Randy was to fight for him as well.

xXx

"You really need to work on your monster thing." Randy told Glen as they sat down at a table for lunch. "I've learned that I'm scary enough to not have to act like a monster." Glen replied. "Besides, they were just kids, numb nuts. Not everyone can go around being a jerk, like you and get away with it." Randy laughed, "that's because I have the good looks to pull it off. Ask, Mark. He knows." Taking a drink of his water, Glen looked at Orton and got serious. "How's that whole thing going anyway?" "Whole thing is going fine, I suppose." Randy answered. "You suppose?" the big red machine questioned. Randy started grasping at what Glen was hinting at, "well, as good as it can be given the situation." "And you've weighed all the possibilities regarding your situation?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, you don't have to be in this situation. You know that everything that's going on between them has nothing to do with you. You could wait it all out and give it a shot once they've cleared everything up." Glen said honestly. Randy nodded, "I know it doesn't. But I can't afford to let him go without a fight. You're one of his best friends, shouldn't you be watching his back instead of mine?" "I'm always looking out for Mark, but it's obvious how hard this is on you too." Glen said. "I know Jeff, not as well as Mark does, but I know that that little firecracker isn't going to give up without a fight. He's gotta be getting under your skin. Mark told me about what happened a couple of weeks ago." Randy sighed, "Jeff's just a whiney little bitch." Randy hated talking that way about someone but truth was that he was indeed fed up with him. "I really don't mind that Mark wants to stay friends with him. They've got so much history; it'd be insane to expect them to just forget about each other. I feel that I've been more than generous in allowing them to fix things, but I really can't stand Jeff anymore. Having him in my face telling me that I don't care enough about Mark to let him handle this first is bullshit." "When did that happen?" Glen interrupted. "Last week, at the airport." Randy answered. Glen could tell that Randy was ready to boil over with emotions he'd been pushing down. "Jeff's just being a bitch about this and what makes me angry is that he can't give it a rest and just work it out, for everyone's sake." "You can't let him get on your nerves, though, Randy. Mark's been honest with you about everything, so you gotta ride out the storm or get out of the eye of the hurricane while you still have your sanity. He's trying his damnedest to make sure you're not getting the short end of the stick every time." "I know, and I'm in it to ride out the storm. I just don't understand why Jeff can't keep me out of this." Randy said.

A few tables over, Matt Hardy could hear pieces of the conversation and headed to the dressing room to find Jeff.

After searching the arena, Matt finally found Jeff in a bathroom in the back of the building. "What are you doing way back here?" Matt asked his brother. "I couldn't concentrate on painting with all the other guys, so I came looking for a little privacy. Amazing how much privacy you can find in a really gross and old bathroom at the back of a building." Matt laughed at his brother. "You're nuts, Jeffro." Matt walked towards his brother, "look. We've gotta talk about something." he said. "Go ahead, Matt. I'm listening." Jeff said as he continued with his painting. "I'm serious, Jeff." Matt told him. Looking at his brother, Jeff got it and put the paint down. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?" "I wanna know what you said to Randy at the airport." Matt asked. Jeff looked carefully at Matt and then answered, "I just told him that he needs to give Mark some space so that he and I can work this shit out. Why are you asking this?" "Because I just heard Randy telling Glen that you were acting like a whiney little bitch and that you were out of line by getting in his face." Matt told him. "I know you, Jeff, and I know that he's probably right. You probably were out of line. You gotta learn to keep your feelings in control. You're never going to get Mark's attention by acting like this." Jeff barely heard what Matt had just said, "wait, he called me a whiney little bitch and you didn't even try to defend me?" Matt sighed, "dammit, Jeff. That's not the point. If you're going to keep going after Mark, you can't just go and get in Randy's face." Jeff was confused, "who's side are you on, Matty? I'm your brother." "I'm always on your side, Jeff, but you have to leave him out of this. This thing between you and Mark has nothing to do with him, so just stay away from him." Jeff didn't want to hear it, "you don't get it Matt. Randy's staying with Mark. They're sharing a bed. They're sharing a life now. That used to me. That's the life I lived for. Mark is the guy I lived for and now they go around parading each other." Jeff said bitterly. "I'm not gonna sit back and let them play house while I'm dying inside every time I see them. I love him, Matt. I don't care what you or Randy has to say about it. I'm not giving up without a fight." Matt nodded, "I know you do, Jeff and I'm not telling you to give up, but you won't win him over that way. I told you that I'd help you however I can, maybe if I talk to Mark, he'll understand a little better where you're coming from. I'm on your team, Jeff. Don't forget that. Just don't go blowing up at Randy. Alright?" Jeff was angry, but he didn't want his brother to worry about him. "Yeah, thanks, Matty." "Alright, I'm first up on the card, so I'm going to go get ready. Finish up and I'll see you later, Picasso." Jeff gave him a smile and said okay. "I'll see you later then, man."

Jeff watched Matt leave the bathroom and when he figured he was far enough, he threw the paint off the counter and kicked a stall door. "Fuck this shit." he said. _I can't stand around while Randy has the one person that I love more than anything. Fucking whiney little bitch, huh? Fuck that. He's taken too much from me to let him get away with that. I'll set him straight once and for all. _

xXx

"What the fuck is your problem," Jeff said, slamming through the doors of Mark's locker room. "I thought maybe you and I understood that we were going to go after Mark. This isn't about you and I." Randy got up from the chair he was sitting in, "what the hell are you talking about, Hardy?" Jeff laughed, "you know exactly what I'm talking about, man. Don't give me that shit. You think I'm a whiney little bitch, huh?" Randy sighed, now realizing what this was about, walking a little closer to Jeff he defended himself. "Look, Jeff. I'm sorry that you heard that, but I was a little frustrated with everything going on and..." "And what? You didn't mean it? Bullshit." Jeff said cutting him off. "No, I meant it." Randy corrected. "Matt said to back off about it, but screw that." Jeff said, getting right in Randy's face. "Jeff, this is the second time you've gotten in my face and you need to back off." With a small push, he managed to get the younger Hardy out of his face. "Get your fucking hands off of me, man." Jeff told him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" This time, Jeff was the one who pushed Randy. "Look, Jeff, why don't you just get out of here before something happens." he suggested. "I want to know why you think I'm a whiney little bitch. Is it because you know that you have no chance with Mark once he realizes that we both made a huge mistake?" Jeff said pushing Randy a little more, causing the taller man to step back. "You're a whiney little bitch because you don't realize that Mark is ready to move past all the bullshit you put him through, but you're too dammed selfish to see it." Hearing this just angered the Rainbow-haired Enigma that much more. "Give it up, Randy. I'm sure you are a good guy to him, but it's not going to last. It's not you who spent years with him, through thick and thin." Randy tried to mellow his adrenaline, "whenever you wanted to be with him. Whenever you didn't leave just because you were afraid of what you guys had. I'm not afraid, Jeff." "Oh fuck off, Randy. You don't know a damn thing about us and how we feel about each other. You're not me. Don't try to make me out to be the bad guy, you took advantage of him, but I can tell you this, he loves me and there's nothing you can do to change that. You just slithered your way into all of this. If you are going to go and say shit behind my back, why don't we just agree that all is fair in love and war? I love Mark and you have him. I'm not going to let you win." Finally, something in Randy snapped. Before he could stop himself, in just a second, he had pulled his arm back and launched a fist at Jeff, connecting with his cheek. The punch sent Jeff stumbling into the television set behind him; dropping with a thud to the floor. In an instant though, Jeff was back up and threw a punch of his own. His connected squarely with Randy's jaw. Soon, Randy had Jeff pressed up against the locker after slamming him against it and was trying to connect his punches. Jeff, small, but agile, slipped past Randy and remembering the knee he had just tweaked, using his own knee as a battering ram, kicked Randy's leg and pinned it against the wall. Both men had the other somehow and was trying to get any advantage he could.

Members of the Smackdown! roster, including Chris, Phil, the elder Hardy brother, Glen, John and Dave rushed into the locker room where they heard a loud thud come from. Chris was the first to get inside, followed by Phil and Glen. The sight in front of them wasn't much of a surprise; sooner or later something was going to happen between the two young men and it had finally hit the fan for them both. Chris quickly made his way to the two men who currently were intertwined, fists pulling back and then landing on the other man, any place it could manage. Chris grabbed Randy's arm as he reached back to lay another shot on Jeff. Using the leverage, Chris managed to pull most of his body away from the smaller man who threw a kick into his gut. By this time, Chris had Glen and John helping him hold back the Viper. Phil, Matt and Dave held the smaller and much angrier man back while he tried to break loose from their grips and get in another shot.

Glen turned to look behind him, and had to shout over Jeff's voice to be heard. "Both of you need to settle down, right this damn second." When Randy and Jeff both settled down, still being held back by the other men, Glen spoke again, "What the fuck is going on?" he said, looking at both me. "Why don't you ask this fucker, Glen." Jeff spat out. Randy just laughed, "Jeff, when are you going to grow up?" "Hey! I asked you both a fucking question." When neither man was willing to speak up, Glen looked down at his watch. "Dave, John will you go and get Mark. He should be in with the medic." Glen took his place to at the side of Randy, making sure he wouldn't try to break free. "Just tell him that he needs to get his ass over here, right now." Dave and John nodded and left the room. Making sure it was closed before they walked away.

Matt shook his head, "Jeff, I told you to drop this. What the hell did you do?" Jeff immediately felt the need to protect himself against all accusations, "Matt, isn't it enough that he has Mark? I couldn't let this asshole get away with saying what he said about me." Matt looked at his brother, "Dammit, Jeff. I said I was going to help you. You didn't have to come in here." Across the room, Chris looked at Randy with disappointment. "What are they talking about? What did you say?" Randy stood tall and looked directly at Jeff and then back at the two men in front of him. "What does it matter now?"

A moment after Randy had spoken, Mark came busting through the door. Looking around the room he knew it wasn't anything good. "What the hell happened?" he said, walking between the group of men. Jeff was the first to speak, "your fucking boyfriend is a fucking asshole, man. That's what happened." Randy couldn't tolerate Jeff any long, "oh fuck you, Jeff." he said pushing against Chris and Glen. "You've got Mark feeling so damned guilty for doing absolutely nothing wrong. He's so worried about how you feel about him he doesn't even realize that you doing it. He's done nothing but try to work all of this shit out with you, but you can't just let him go and be happy with his life and take the friendship he's offering." Jeff took in the words and then shot back at him, "I'm not trying to guilt him into anything. I'm just asking for a second chance." "Second chance? How many of those 'second chances' has he already given you, Jeff?" Randy asked. "Enough. Somebody needs to tell me what happened, so somebody better start talking." Again Jeff started, "Matt overheard this fucker and Glen talking and he just so happened to mention that I was a whiney little bitch." Mark turned to look at Randy, "is that true?" When Randy didn't answer, but instead looked away he asked again, "Randy, I asked you a question." Randy snapped his head back to look at Mark, "yeah, I did." Mark stood there dumbfounded; he really didn't believe that Randy would say something like that. "When I came in here to confront him about it we started arguing and he pushed me into lockers." Jeff finished. Again, Mark was beyond belief, Randy wasn't the type to react like that, at one time he had been though, and because Jeff wasn't a liar, he knew it had to be true. Randy looked down at the floor, embarrassed by his own actions. He wasn't that guy anymore, but he had just blown up and couldn't stop himself. He hated being that guy again and was extremely ashamed of his actions. "Randy, what the hell were you thinking?" Chris said, but Randy didn't even hear the words he was saying. "I'll give the him some credit, he knows how good he has it with you, and the only reason he blew up was because he knows that we deserve another chance. We've been through so much shit together and he knows how we feel about each other. Randy you don't know half the story though, and you don't anything about us." Randy's head was beginning to ache and just listening to Jeff was making it worse. He took a deep breath, "Earlier you said that I didn't know anything about you two. I know more than you think, Jeff." he said as he backed away from the men in front of him. Randy looked over at Mark who stood with his head hung low towards the ground as he tried thinking of how things got so messed up; Randy again felt so ashamed of what he'd done, but continued speaking, "I know enough to know that you're too damn high up to be knocked down from that pedestal that Mark keeps you up on." Randy turned his gaze back to Jeff who was listening to what he was saying, while Randy's words caused Mark to break his thoughts and look over at him. "I know enough to know that you're right, Jeff. I know how good I have it with Mark; I'm lucky to have him care about me even half as much as he cares about you. And I know that there's a part of him that I can never touch because it belongs to you and you alone." Swallowing hard, Randy finished, "I know enough to know that my one shot with him only came about because you screwed up. If not for that, I would have never gotten the opportunity. I didn't slither my way in and take advantage, it just happened. I hope that you both know that." when he was done speaking his mind, Randy tried to walk out, but Glen and Chris stopped him. Randy raised his hands and said, "I'm good, guys. I'm done." Walking past them, he couldn't bring himself to look at Mark or Jeff again. Mark took a few steps forward, "Randy..." He stopped and watched as the usually confidant and self-assured Orton walk out the door, looking defeated.

All of the men in the room looked to Mark, who stood there with his hands resting on his waist. Obviously lost on what to do, Chris spoke up, "Aren't you going to go after him?" When he didn't answer, Chris stepped up to look at the bigger man right in the face, "Mark, you are my friend and you know that I have your back no matter what, but you need to get your head out of the sand and figure out what you're going to do to fix this mess." With that said, Chris turned on his heel and went out the door, to follow Randy.

* * *

_Hope this is up to the standards you've all set for this story. Not crazy about the beginning, but I like the end. What do you guys think? **REVIEW**! It's much appreciated, you all know that. Speaking of **REVIEWS**, **TakersLady**, you make me LOL. Thanks for the **REVIEWS**! _

_Going ahead with my planned ending for this story, just gotta figure a way to get there. Hope you'll all stay with me. I don't plan on taking this story into the new year, again. (BTW, did you know I've been working on this story for over a year? RIDICULOUS!)_

_Please let me know what you thought. I'm Straight Edge and my only vice is the **REVIEWS** you all send me. That's all for now. Over._


	20. Chapter 20

"Randy, wait up." Chris shouted as he chased Randy into a clear hallway. "I needed to get out of there, alright?" Randy told him. Chris nodded, "yeah, that's fine. I think one of you guys had to walk away." Randy shook his head and in another small fit of rage, punched the wall to his left. "I wasn't trying to start anything with Jeff. That's the last thing I've wanted. Mark should know by now that it was never my intention to keep him away from Jeff." Chris held up his hands in defense, "relax, kid. Mark's in a tough spot too, you have to remember that." Randy chuckled, "yeah, I know. Mark's in a tough spot because he's stuck between us. Jeff's in a tough spot because he still loves Mark. Where the hell does everyone think that leaves me?" Randy raked his hands over the sides of his head. "Orton, no one is saying you're not in a similar spot. That's pretty obvious. Truth is, I don't even know how to approach this anymore. Tell me something I can do to help." Chris said. Nodding his head, Randy understood. "Don't worry about it, Chris. There's only one way to handle this now. Chris, man, thank you. Thanks for looking out. I've got to get out of here right now though. I'll see you later." "What are you going to do?" Chris asked. "I've got some thinking to do, but I think it's time to end this." Randy said, placing his hand on Chris shoulder. He thanked Chris once more and walked away, ignoring the questions that followed his statement.

xXx

Chris made his way back to the locker room where Mark and Glen now occupied alone. "Mark..." he said, "I don't know what Vince has planned for you tonight, but you might want to skip it and head back to the hotel." Mark raised his eyebrows, "What? Why?" he asked. "Where's Randy?" he added. Glen looked from one man to the other, "What's going on?" The normally the joking personality Jericho had was replaced by a much more serious one. "He left. Headed back to the hotel. He said he needed to think about his decision, but it was time to end this." Mark felt a lump in his throat at hearing Chris speak Randy's words. Heeding Chris' warning, Mark took his advice and went to speak with Vince about skipping the show.

"Mark, you know you're always welcome in my office." Vince said. "Thanks, but I'm afraid that this isn't going to be one of those times." Mark told him. Looking concerned, Vince sat down once Mark had already done so. "Well, what's on your mind, son." Mark usually got a chuckle out of hearing the endearing term from the boss, but tonight he was distracted. "I know it's really late notice, but Vince, I was hoping I could take the night off. I know you don't really have anything for me right now, so I figured whatever you had planned could possibly wait until next week." Vince sat back in his chair, "this is very late notice, mind if I ask what brought this request on?" "Personal reasons," Mark answered. Understanding that he wasn't in the mood to divulge the details of the matter, Vince cleared his throat and gave him his answer. "You are obviously in a tough spot here, so of course, Mark." Mark let out a sigh of relief and started to stand up, "you have no idea. Thank you, Vince." Vince nodded and then added, "your hard work and loyalty has earned you this request. This time." he made sure to point out. Mark nodded his thanks again. "This personal matter, is it anything I could possibly help with?" Vince asked standing up. "No, but thank you." Mark said, extending his hand to the boss who took it and then gave the larger man a quick hug. Quickly, Mark marched back to his locker to gather his belongings and informed Glen that he'd been granted the night off and was heading back to the hotel to see Randy.

xXx

Although he knew he needed to speak with both Randy and Jeff, Mark, without much thought, decided that getting to Randy and discussing what was happening was the more pressing issue. Entering the car, Mark tried calling Randy, but only got his voicemail. "Dammit, Randy" he said to himself, "answer you damned phone." When the phone beeped the second call, Mark left a message. "Randy, I need for you to answer your phone please. I'm heading to the hotel, so please, just be there." With a sigh, he ended the call and then tried to text Orton. _Heading to the hotel, be there please. _Taking a moment to compose himself, Mark finally started the car and thanked Randy for booking a hotel just down the street from the arena.

As he parked the car, Mark didn't even bother to grab his bag from the back and instead hurried into the hotel and down the hall to where the elevators were. Impatiently he waited for the elevator doors to open and then take him to the correct floor. He finally made it to his room and took a deep breath before using his keycard to open the door. Mark sighed in relief when he turned into the bedroom and saw Randy sitting on the edge of the bed, his phone in his hand. "You get my message, kid?" Mark said, trying to figure out what he really wanted to say. Randy just nodded his head, raising his phone up a bit. "To tell the truth, Randy, I didn't think you'd be here when I got here." the older man admitted. Randy reached over to the bedside table and picked up a piece of paper. "I wasn't planning on being here, but Chris called and asked me to wait for you."

Mark walked over to where the Legend Killer sat and plucked the note from his hands. Reading it to himself, he swallowed the lump in his throat that had returned. "You were just going to leave me a note?" he asked. "For now." Randy answered, not looking up to meet the green eyes that he knew were staring a hole into him. Mark sighed, he couldn't blame him. Randy could do just about anything, never speak to him, and he couldn't blame him. Knowing Randy wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of looking at him, with a groan, he knelt down in front of the younger man and tilted Randy's head by the chin so that they were looking directly at each other. "Is this," Mark waved the note, "what you want?" Randy hesitated before he answered but eventually gave an answer, "I don't know what the hell I want." Mark nodded. "I don't want this." he said. "Isn't it?" Randy questioned. Growing a bit frustrated, although not sure at who, Mark replied, "of course not." After a moment, Randy sighed softly, "Mark, stand up. Your knees are going to be killing you later." Mark smiled, "boy, how can you think about my knees at a time like this?" He stood up though, Randy was right, any longer in that position and he'd have to ice his knees for a few hours. "I really don't need another reason to feel guilty about." Mark started pacing, "dammit, Randy. I don't know how many times I need to tell you that you have nothing to feel guilty about. You," he paused to point directly at him, "you, have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. You've been nothing but a prince through this whole ordeal and I cannot thank you enough for that. This whole shitty situation has really blown up in all of our faces, but you've toughed it out and if you come away with anything through all this, you should know that you are an amazingly strong person and no matter what your own past has said, you're a person who truly feels and cares for the people around him. You've got a hell of a head on your shoulders," he paused, "and you're easy on the eyes to boot."

Randy's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliments, but felt it leave just as quickly as he spoke, "I'd like to think that who I am now is not who I was back then. But my actions today tell something different." Mark pulled a chair from the table and sat down. "I struck a man who not too long ago I considered a friend. Regardless of who said what and who struck first, I struck him nonetheless." Randy continued, "and I can't stand to think that this whole deal is turning me into that guy again. I can't be that guy again, Mark. Not even for you." Mark shook his head and waved his hands, "wait, Randy. You listen to me, alright? This doesn't have a fuck to do with me or Jeff, okay, you listen to me when I say you are not that person anymore." Mark's words, he knew, sounded harsher than he'd wished, but he was angry now, not at Randy, but at himself for making him think such ridiculous things. Standing up from his seat Mark walked in front of Randy and said, "get up." Doing so, Randy cursed himself for having that familiar feeling he had anytime Mark touched him when he wrapped his large hand around the back of Orton's neck and stood close. Their faces just inches apart, Mark poked his finger into the slightly smaller man's chest and repeated himself, "Randy, you are not that man anymore. You're better than that now, so don't you ever let me or anyone else make you think otherwise." Swallowing hard, Randy nodded once to let Mark know he understood. His hand still hold Randy, Mark asked "now, I want to ask you once more. Is this," Mark raised the note he still held in his hand, "still what you want. I won't stop you, if it is, but I want you to be sure because I know what I want." Mark's voice ended shaky, all of a sudden, his heart raced as he awaited the answer. A small part of him, the fear in him, said that Randy did want what he wrote in that note, but hell if Mark was going to let him walk out without having to admit it aloud. Randy, whose eyes were stuck on the ground, looked up and into Mark's. Randy squinted as if trying to figure out what Mark really wanted. "You." Mark answered for him. With another hard swallow, Randy finally gave up his answer, "I want you."

Mark swore he felt his eyes swell with tears, but instead of waiting to see whether it was true, he pushed his mouth forward and let his lips just barely brush against Randy's. He let them linger there until Randy used both hands to cup Mark's face and pushed their lips together with much more intensity. Mark gave in first and let Randy ravage his mouth, parting his lips to give him the access he wanted. Letting Randy take the lead, Mark just enjoyed the velvet touch of the Viper's tongue as it explored his mouth. Randy wasn't sure if this was really solving anything; what they wanted only mattered if it's what they gave into. For now it was, but for how long, he wasn't sure. Taking that into consideration, Randy took to remembering every ridge of Mark's mouth and every sensation this simple action created. Finally pulling away once he felt he had committed it all to memory, Randy pressed his forehead to Mark's and listened to the other man breathe.

"Randy," Mark whispered. Randy kept his hands where they were, but tilted his head to see that Mark's eyes were shut. "this is what I want. I know I don't give you any reasons to, but please don't question that, kid." Randy didn't know what to say, his doubts were still there, so he didn't say anything. Realizing he wasn't going to get a response, Mark just took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Randy's neck and shoulders, holding him there against him. Randy lowered his head and let it rest against his forearms that never strayed from Mark's face.

* * *

_...and they lived happily ever after? Not if Jeff has anything to say about it..._

Alright, short, I know. Was going to continue, but thought it'd be better if I just ended it here. Please **_REVIEW_**! You all know that feeling of receiving new _**REVIEWS**_, so please make sure to do so.

By the way, if you haven't watched Taker-HBK from WM 26, do yourself a favor and find a way to watch it. Amazing. I was there. It was breathtaking.

-_FTLOW_


	21. Chapter 21

**_I apologize for not updating this on a somewhat regular basis. I sincerely hope that you are all still enjoying this story and I desperately hope that I haven't lost too many of my wonderful readers because of my inconsistent updating. I know how this story will end. I just need to get there. I know more than a year on a story is RIDICULOUS! but please keep with me here, please. Thank you SO much! I'm trying, know that my readers. I'm trying to get this out to you. - FTLOW_**

xXxXxXx

"Jeff, it's Mark." Mark said into the phone, "I was wondering if maybe I could see you tomorrow. We've got some things to talk about, so call me back, please." Mark sighed, but was content with what he had planned and played out in his head a dozen times. Jeff still fawned over him, but since the fight between he and Randy, and with Mark leaving the arena that night to go after him, Jeff resigned himself to loving from afar.

When Jeff heard the voicemail, he was both elated and scared. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Mark since that afternoon and although he'd tried many times, he could just never build up the courage. It was something he couldn't deny the older man though, if anything, it was going to give him a chance to tell Mark how he felt once more. Jeff sighed and dialed the number he new by memory. After several rings, he was ready to hang up and just try again in the morning, but before he did, he heard the all-too familiar voice answer. "Hey Jeff," Mark answered. He could hear Jeff take a deep breath before answering and he scowled himself for feeling guilty all over again. "Hi." was all that Jeff could muster. After another moment Mark took the lead, "you got my voicemail." he said. "I'm embarrassed to be calling you now, almost 3 weeks later, but I really think we've got to get some things cleared." Jeff closed his eyes as he spoke, "I'm sorry for what happened, Mark. I really am, I just..." Jeff was cut off before he could finish his sentence. "Look, Jeffy," both men were quite surprised to hear the name escape Mark's lips. "We don't have to talk about this right now, let's just meet up somewhere so that we can talk about all of this. Can we do that?" Jeff took a moment to think before he gave his answer, "yeah. Of course." After arranging a time and place to meet up, Jeff and Mark hung up the phone a little uneasy, but glad that they'd get the chance to sort things out once more and hopefully for the last time.

xXx

The morning following their awkward conversation, Mark and Jeff found themselves at the hotel restaurant bright and early before they were surrounded by more people. Mark was there first, he waited just outside the restaurant on a bench. When he saw Jeff step out of the elevator and walk towards him, he stood up. Without realizing it, Mark found himself smirking at the usual nonchalant attitude and demeanor. Seeing the smirk Mark had on his face, Jeff quickly found himself relaxing, but didn't let his guard down. When he reached Mark, Jeff was unsure of how to greet him. Mark sensed this immediately and extended his hand to the Enigma. Jeff took it hesitantly, but the smile Mark flashed him told him that he had no reason to feel shy or awkward. "'Morning," Mark said. "'Morning," Jeff replied, his southern drawl quite evident. Mark moved to the door of the restaurant and held it open for the smaller man. Jeff nodded his thanks and stepped in. He waited for Mark to lead them to a table; one in the back of the room and tucked in a corner.

"How are you?" Mark asked just as the waitress walked up to the table, silently asking if they'd like coffee. Mark nodded; Jeff waved his hand and waited until she left to answer. "I've been better." he said. Mark nodded this time. "We've known each other for quite some time, so how about we just cut the small talk?" Jeff said, "what is it that you wanted to talk to me about." Jeff, of course, knew the answer and Mark was aware of this but played along. "Jeff, I'm happy with Randy." Already, Jeff hated the conversation and he showed it as he slouched down into his seat. Mark noticed and sighed, "I'm happy, but I'm selfish. I want it all. I want what I have with Randy and I want you back in my life." Mark added. Jeff perked up at the words he heard, but tried to keep his excitement down. "You and I have been through a lot; I guess we haven't always had the most perfect relationship, but I want to try for something, Jeff." Jeff swallowed, "And Randy? What does he say about this? Man, I know he can't be happy about this." Mark shook his head slightly, "You really don't think you give him enough credit." he said. "Even through all the shit that's happened between us all, when I brought this up to him, he was still willing to trust me. After all that he said that day about you and I, he still thinks it's for the best that we work this out. And he's right. Jeffrey, I love you, I can't deny that and I really don't want to. You were my best friend for some ten years and I really can't stand not being around you. I'm happy, but your friendship would make me even happier." Jeff wanted to lose it after hearing Mark's words, but he tried to keep his composure. "About all that shit that happened and what Randy said about you and me..." Mark stopped him when placed his hand over Jeff's. "Don't worry about it, Jeff," he said. "Randy and I talked about it and per his request, whatever went on between you guys will stay between you guys. All I know is what happened afterwards and really that's all that I care to know about." Jeff sighed out of relief, "really? That's pretty cool of him." "So what do you say? Is it possible to try and make some type of friendship work between us?" Mark asked after a few moments of silence. When Jeff didn't answer, he spoke again, "you know, this whole time, I can't remember you ever being open to the idea. You've made it clear that what we had before is what you want now, but I'm sorry, that's just not something I can give to you. I hope that friendship can be enough for you." Jeff gave Mark a half-hearted smile, "I do want something more. I still think you and I could work this out, but you don't seem interested in giving me another chance. You walked away from me and as if all those years together never happened, you went and found someone else. We've never even really talked about what happened; you just assumed that I was over you because you were over me." Mark could hear the anger coming through Jeff's voice. "You just gave up on me, never even bothered to talk about anything. You said you'd never give up on me. Ever. And that's exactly what you did." Mark leaned back against his chair; this wasn't what he wanted to come out of this meeting. "Why do you have to be so difficult, Jeff? In the beginning, you didn't even want to see or talk to me. Then I tried to be honest with you; I told you how I felt and you do a complete one-eighty on me. You want to be together, but I've already explained that that cannot happen. I've apologized to you; I've forgiven and ignored the stuff that's happened between you and Randy. I just want to get past this. Please. I don't know what else I can do." Mark pleaded his case in hopes that something would click in the younger man. "If friendship isn't something you can settle for then I'm afraid this is going to be my last effort. I can't keep running in circles for you Jeff." Jeff watched as Mark took out his wallet and put money on the table. Jeff realized it was now or never. If he didn't settle for Mark's friendship now, he was going to lose him forever. That was something that Jeff could not do. "Mark," he said just before Mark stood up. "If your friendship is all I can have, then that'll have to be enough for me. I can't lose you again." Mark sat back down and sighed when Jeff bowed his head in defeat. "Jeffrey, look at me." Mark said. "I know that we've both broken a lot of promises that we made to each other, but I promise that as long as you want me around, you'll never lose me. You and I have too much history. We both know how deep our feelings run, so if we can get this whole friendship thing going and if you still want to, we can talk about what happened. Now, I'm not saying that we'll be together again, alright? For me, that isn't even on the table. I need for you to understand that." Jeff nodded his head, "yeah. I got it." Jeff couldn't help but feel defeated, but at least this way he could still have Mark's friendship. He'd work on fighting for Mark some other way.

xXx

After leaving the restaurant, Mark felt a huge weight lifted off his chest. He wanted Jeff in his life, he couldn't help what he felt for him and he considered himself more than lucky to be with someone like Randy, who appreciated the feelings and was not afraid of them. He was quite shocked when after a few days had passed after the incident, when he brought up the idea of calling up Jeff, Randy admitted that, if he did talk to him, it should be about him and Jeff. Randy said that under any other circumstances he would have liked to have straightened out what had happened between them, but since he couldn't, he'd appreciate it if what happened stayed between them. Mark didn't need to hear the details. That was all he had to say about the situation. Mark was sure that he'd try to stop him and persuade him otherwise. He thought that Randy would have had enough of all the mess and wasn't willing to give him that freedom anymore. He was surprised, but thanked his lucky stars that Randy was as amazing as he was.

xXx

"I don't know, Matt." Jeff said. "I think it's a bit early to be hanging out and everything, man." "Alright, Jeff. I understand." Matt told his younger brother. "They're going to be there anyway. I just thought it'd be cool to hang out." Jeff shook his head, "Nah, I don't think so. I know they're going too, but we don't have to hang with them or anything. He probably wouldn't want to." Jeff said. He was all for starting the friendship thing, but he didn't want to push it and have either of them think he was completely okay with being buddies. Jeff wasn't sure if he was ready to see them together like that; he didn't think that he'd have the self-control to not do anything stupid when he did see them together. "Okay," Matt said.

Later that evening, a group of WWE Superstars were gathering down at the hotel lobby. Vince always thought it was best that he get the whole crew together once a month. It kept them out of trouble and many of his employees tended to get into trouble sooner or later. Jeff was there with Matt, Phil and Greg. They still had about a half hour until Vince would be joining them so they kept themselves occupied. About ten minutes into their conversation a group of guys coming out the elevator caught Jeff's attention. He looked over and saw Mark walking out. Randy walked by his side, and Chris just in front of them with Cody and Ted in front of him. They walked towards the center of the large room where most people were gathered and greeted everyone. Mark and Randy soon pulled away from the crowd though and secluded themselves in a corner of the lobby. Mark sat in one of the large chairs and Randy sat on the table next to him.

Chris found his way to the Hardy brothers, where they started a conversation. Chris was a bit upset still with Jeff and they way he had been acting, but he tried to let it go. As they were talking he noticed Jeff was a bit distant and was looking around the room quite a bit. "Hey Jeff, you're missing out on my fantastic story here." he said. "Oh, sorry man, head's not in the right place right now. Alright, so exactly how many sharks were you fighting off?" The group laughed and Chris stood there with a smirk on his face. "Funny, Hardy." he said. After being caught staring off after the two other men in the corner, Jeff kept his focus on what his friends were talking about and tried not to let himself get caught up in Mark.

Soon Shawn and Hunter made their way down and after stopping for a minute to talk to Chris and a few other people, they made their way towards Mark and Randy. "Randy, my boy." Hunter said, wrapping his arm around Randy's shoulders and patting his chest a few times. "Hunter." Randy said standing up. Hunter smirked at the younger man and then walked in front of Mark, extending his hand. Mark took it and Hunter pulled him up into a hug. "How are you?" Hunter asked. "I'm doing well, Hunter." Mark told him, a smile on his face. Hunter smiled and nodded, "that's great to hear." Shawn walked up behind Hunter, after having greeted Randy. "Mark, my old friend." he said. "It's been too long." Shawn added, embracing the bigger man. "Shawn, I just saw you last week and talked to you yesterday," Mark said with a laugh. "And haven't you missed me since then?" Shawn questioned, earning another hearty laugh from the Deadman. "Of course, Shawn. Always good to see you." Mark said with a wink. He and Shawn were extremely close, having known each other for twenty years or so.

The four men chatted for a while, until Vince made his way down and lead everyone out. Everyone was filing out; Mark, Randy, Shawn and Hunter still discussing something, made their way towards the front of the hotel. As Mark allowed the three other men to walk out in front of him, he looked up and into the crowd and noticed Jeff standing near the back with his brother and friends. He caught Jeff staring at him and as much as Jeff wanted to turn away he couldn't. Mark smiled at him and gave him a small nod. Jeff gave him a half smile and forced himself to look away. Mark chuckled to himself and followed the three other men.

xXx

After dinner everyone returned to the hotel and all too full and tired to go out went straight to their room, but Mark, Randy, Shawn, Hunter, as well as some others stayed down to have some drinks at the hotel bar though. Mark chose a booth in the back of the bar and allowed Randy to sit first and he followed. Shawn and Hunter sitting across from them. Before they ordered, Randy and Hunter joked about some trip Ric had led them on during their Evolution days. "Mark," Shawn said. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something?" Mark looked at his friend, "of course, Shawn. What is it?" Shawn glanced over at the two other men at their table and then back at Mark. His brows furrowed a bit, "I'd like to discuss it private," he sighed and shook his head, "actually, it can wait." Mark took a minute to try to figure what it was he heard in Shawn's voice just then, but when he couldn't identify it, he figured there was only way to find out. "Well then it must be important. Let's leave these two knuckleheads to themselves and we'll find another table. How's that?" Shawn nodded, "thanks."

"Hey. Where are you two going?" Hunter yelled towards the two as they walked away. "The hell away from you guys." Mark shouted back, turning to smirk at the confused men. "What are they doing?" Randy asked. Whatever the reason, they figured they had walked away with a purpose. Deciding to leave them be, the two younger men got up and joined another table.

"Better?" Mark asked Shawn as they took a seat at a table out of ear shot of the others. "Much. Thanks." The Heartbreak Kid said. "Now what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Mark said, taking a drink from his glass. Shawn too took a drink from his glass. With a deep breath, he looked down at his twiddling thumbs and spoke lowly. "Mark, this is it. I've decided to retire." Mark sat back, a bit stunned. "Retire for good, that is." Shawn added. "Why? Are you sure? I know you're hurting, but have you actually thought this through and talked to Rebecca about it?" He had a thousand questions running through his head, but stopped to give Shawn a chance to answer. "I have thought this through, but no, I haven't talked to Rebecca about this. I honestly don't really want to. I know it's what she wants, but she'll never ask it of me. I don't want her to have to worry about this. I've been doing this for longer than I can remember. I was just a kid when I started. Now I can barely get out of bed sometimes. I've known what my career choice has done to my family, but having my kids look at me with pity and hurt because I can't go out and play with them as much as I'd like to kills me. It's at the point where Rebecca has to push me out the door to leave. I love what I do, but I just can't do it anymore. The sacrifices I made in the past for this are starting to out-weigh the reasons I stay. This is my decision, I'm ready to step away and I'm seeing it through. I can do it without you, Mark, but I really don't want to." Mark stared at Shawn, his mind deep in thought and his heart feeling for his friend. He knew too well that look of pity mixed with sadness that his kids offered much too often. Hearing the words echo his head, Mark snapped back to reality. "My help?" he asked. Shawn nodded. "I've got it all planned out for us. I just need a green-light for twenty-six from Vince and from you, of course. I know Vince will give the 'okay,' he won't like that I'm leaving, but he'll give me the green-light." Mark shook his head, slightly afraid of what Shawn was hinting at, "so what exactly do you need from me, Shawn? What are you talking about?" "Come on, Mark. You know what I'm trying to get at here. Are you really going to make me ask?" he said with a smile. "Why me? Why not Hunter? Why not Cena? You'd get a great match from them." Mark questioned. "I don't want a great match, Mark." Shawn paused and smiled at his friend again, "I want something to be remembered." Mark smirked, but couldn't help but feel torn over what Shawn was asking of him. "We had our match this year, Shawn, and it was amazing. By far my best match. You're the Showstopper, you can work a great mat-" "I told you, I'm not looking for a great match. I want something that people are going to remember. Retirement or not." Shawn interrupted. "You and I have always brought out the best in each other and we went out and proved that we still put on a better show than any of the guys on the roster. I'm asking because I want to do this up as best as I can and there's only one guy that I can do that with. You."

Still unsure of what to even make of the situation he was abruptly put in, Mark took a minute to first get over the fact that Shawn seemed dead set on making this his retirement and secondly that he was asking him to take the honor of his last match. Swallowing hard and running his hand over his face, Mark leaned in to speak. "You're sure you want this. Shawn? I need to hear you say this is what you want." Shawn looked Mark squarely in the eye, "This is it. I want to go out and tear the house down with nobody else but you, Mark. I want to step away with no regrets and know that I stole the show not because of the circumstances, but because we, once again, accomplished what few can do nowadays. You and me; The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania. One more time." Mark nodded with slight hesitation. "No regrets," he said. "No regrets." Shawn repeated as he stuck his hand out. Mark took it and with a solemn look on his face gave Shawn a crooked smile. "You got it, Shawn."

After Shawn gave Mark a quick rundown of what his thoughts and plans were, Hunter came up to their table. "Enough with the secrets, you two. What's going on?" he said. Shawn laughed a bit and looked down at his watch, "it's late. I'll tell you tomorrow, Hunt." When Randy caught Shawn getting up from the table, he got up and walked over. "Hunter was getting a tad jealous over there and I see he's here to take you back, Shawn." Shawn laughed, "Sorry about taking Mark away for so long, Randy. I didn't realize it was so late." Mark stood up and beside Randy, still looking a bit solemn over what all had happened in that time. "What were you guys talking about?" Randy asked, interested in what exactly had kept them for so long. Mark shook his head, "it was nothing. Why don't we get going?" he asked. "Yeah, come on, Hunter, you can walk me to my room." the smallest of the four men led the way to the elevators where they all walked in.

"No jokes, what was going on with you guys?" Hunter asked again. Shawn smiled, he figured the insistent questions from his buddy was probably due to him being slightly drunk. "You're hammered, Hunter. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Promise." "Am not." Hunter responded. "Maybe just a little, but I'm more than capable of having a conversation with you." Hunter defended himself. "Tomorrow, Hunt." Shawn said again. The three men laughed at the look Hunter had on his face. He was probably much drunker than they figured. Thinking of everything he and Shawn had discussed had him thinking about his own life; retirement, his family, Randy and as much as he scolded himself for thinking about it, even the momentary glance he had shared with Jeff earlier. Suddenly, thinking of all of that had him feeling tired. Mark wrapped one arm across Randy's shoulders and leaned against the cold surface of the elevator walls, where he let his head rest and his eyes close.

Finally, the doors to the elevator stopped on the floor that Shawn and Hunter were both staying on. Leading Hunter out by his shoulders, Shawn looked back before the doors closed and said, "don't worry about it, Mark. You and I were meant to be." He flashed a quick smile just as the doors shut completely.

**_- Short, I know. A lot of 'blah blah blah' before I got to my point, but still... review? = ]_**


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you gonna make it home in time to pick up the girls?" Randy asked. "If my flight leaves anywhere near on-time, I should be able to just make it." Mark said, getting his gear together. After his match, Mark had come through the curtain and not to his surprise, was greeted by the medic. He spent about thirty minutes in the trainer's office while they looked at his knee. Luckily, the swelling wasn't bad and neither was the pain. He had tweaked it hard during the match, but thankfully it wasn't anything serious, so after a round of ice packs, he was allowed to leave. Thankfully for the medics, they didn't have to deal with a tired and sore Undertaker on their own; Randy sat in there with him, making sure he didn't try to get up before he was told he could.

Mark counted himself lucky for the little things like that, that Randy did. Much like himself, Randy was a 'little things' kind of guy. Little things pleased him, and he, perhaps unknowingly, always did and remembered the small things that made Mark smile. Especially when those little things had nothing to do with him. The small details of remembering when any of his kids had something to do - a soccer game, a class play, anything - Randy knew about it and made sure Mark didn't forget.

He loved watching him interact with his youngest kids; seeing him play house with his girls was something he could watch forever. The Viper was cold and heartless in the ring, but outside of the ring, Mark couldn't think of any grown man who was more adorable. Randy was great with his boys too; they shared a common interest in sports and television shows, amongst other things. No matter how exhausted he was after a week of being on the road, he was more than willing to hang out, help with homework or let himself be made over by the girls. They loved him and he was sure that Randy loved them.

It didn't surprise Mark that his kids had taken so kindly to him; they already knew him and had already spent time with him, but seeing his kids with Randy was something that Mark could definitely see a future in.

His kids also adored Jeff. He was a big kid himself, but for that exact reason Mark found it hard to mesh their home-lives together. He had four kids already, and having Jeff around was like having a fifth. It was his personality that Mark had first noticed so many years ago, but it was also his personality that made it difficult to transition from his life on the road to his life at home.

"If you're going to be cutting it that close, I can always head out a day early and pick them up. If Sara doesn't mind." Randy interrupted Mark's thoughts. "You're going to be exhausted after two more shows, a red-eye and just a little sleep." Mark half-smiled, "That'd be great." he said. "You sure you don't mind?" Shaking his head, Randy threw his gym bag over his shoulder and waited for Mark to put his baseball cap on before he opened the door to leave their locker room. "No way, I love those girls. It'll give us a chance to hang-out." Mark widened his smile. Before walking out the door, he stopped to place a peck against Randy's mouth. "Thank you," he said.

xXx

"You know what would have been really nice?" Mark asked randomly. He and Randy were settled into their hotel room and were spending a quiet evening in. "What would have been really nice?" Randy asked, playing along. "It would have been really nice if this," Mark answered, motioning between them, "happened a lot sooner than it did." Dumbfounded, Randy took a long moment to pause and look at Mark, really unsure of what to say. "…at the risk of sounding uncharacteristically unmanly." Mark jokingly added. The younger man nodded, "yeah, that would have been nice." Taking note of the look his companion now wore, "alright," the larger man said. "Now I sound like some sappy, creepy old man." Randy shook his head, "No, it would have been a great thing…" he drew out.

"You're a horrible liar, kid." Mark said, filling the silence that was growing. "Just spit it out. I can see it there on the tip of your tongue." "I'm sorry; things have been pretty good lately and I'm not trying to get into this again." Orton said. "It's just… strange… to hear you say that… knowing your past." Mark tilted his head to one side, "well, I thought maybe this had to do with Jeff, but the tone of your voice says this is more about me." Randy's hand fell on top of Mark's and he leaned back against the headboard. "No, it isn't. I'm just, I'm not asking you to lie and forget your past. I don't need you to do that for me. I'm happy with the way everything is now. My past and your's behind us. You don't have to pretend your past never happened. It's what's help make you into the guy you are." Mark leaned closer and kissed the nape of Randy's neck, with no purpose other than showing the younger man how much he cared for him. "Sometimes I feel you're the older and wiser of the two of us." Mark said, breaking away. "You must be rubbing off on me." Randy answered. With a sly grin Mark turned so that his body was facing Randy and he let his hands travel on their own, "I think that sounds good right now."

Randy slouched down a bit and Mark maneuvered himself into straddling the Viper below him. Allowing his hands to continue their exploration, Mark attached his lips to any exposed flesh and languidly kissed over every area he could, savoring the taste of the man below him. Not wanting to go any further for the moment, Mark backed away just as Randy was letting his own hands roam the larger frame hovering over him. The look Randy's face wore was too much of a temptation for Mark though; he leaned over again and took over his mouth, where he quickly gained access to what he sought - the warm and wet space he'd grown to know well over their time together. Fighting for dominance, Randy and Mark both romped and rolled around on the bed.

Letting his guard down for just a second, Mark found himself flat on his back. Enjoying the attention he was being shown though, he didn't fight it. He allowed Randy to take control now, so that he could enjoy taking it back later. Randy's long legs settled on either side of Mark's body. He braced his weight against his palms, which rested at the left and right side of Mark's head, on the pillow. Capturing Mark's lips with his own, Randy was easily granted access to the heat he currently desired. Breaking free for a moment of air, he slithered down Mark's body and stopped to kiss at his chest. Randy left a trail of kisses down his stomach and nipped the area below his naval before he finally looked up and saw Mark's eyes closed and mouth opened; his pink tongue swiping across his lips to moisten them a bit. Randy smiled when Mark bit his lower lip and quickly released it, it was a trait that Randy loved, but Mark refused to acknowledge.

Sitting on the haunches of his legs, the younger man pulled away at whatever clothing they had on. The Viper sat back and took in the sight before him, grinning ear to ear. Suddenly becoming embarrassed under the gaze, Mark spoke up. "You forget what to do next?" Randy blinked and shook his head, "no, I'm just admiring, love." Taken back by that, Mark took a moment to register it. "I'm the lucky one," he said finally, sitting up to respond the best way he knew how - kissing the man in front of him. Hearing that from Randy, even if it was a momentary pet name, his heart swelled at the emotion. "Love" wasn't a word either one of them had used before, Mark never used it, not because he didn't feel it, he did, but he wasn't sure how Randy would respond. Already having to deal with so much, it wasn't fair to put him in a situation where he might feel pressured to say it when it wasn't what he felt.

Savoring the taste of his younger lover, Mark took his time when rediscovering the velvety muscle of Randy's mouth. After minutes of enjoying each other's mouths, they pulled apart. Randy reached over to the bedside table to grab a small travel bag that had been placed there beforehand. He fished through the contents and quickly withdrew a tube. Taking it, Mark opened the cap and poured the cool gel onto his fingers. After steadying himself in his position, Randy took to the exposed flesh of the older man's neck. Careful not to leave any marks, he sucked gently on the skin just as Mark asked "are you ready?" Pulling back, he answered, "yes." Once the smaller man had returned to his previous actions, Mark slipped one digit past his the ring of muscle.

Hissing in pain, Orton took a second to adjust to the intrusion and then allowed Mark to continue the ministrations. When Mark felt Randy grow anxious he added a second and third digit and prepared him as well as he could before they both needed more friction. With a few pillows of support behind him now, Mark leaned back, happy to relinquish all control and allowing Randy to set his own pace and cherish the moments before they both slipped into oblivion. Slowly, the younger man took in Mark's length, hissing again in pain. But he knew the pain would quickly subside and turn into pure pleasure and so he settled himself completely and fully.

Mark almost couldn't breathe with the tightness around him. It wasn't like any other he had ever felt. He never was one to relay solely on the sex in a relationship, but with Randy, it felt too amazing to not relish in the pleasures and want to prolong the experience as long as he could.

Randy too felt the same heat between them and enjoyed it just as much, but he couldn't keep still any longer. Even rocking his hips ever so slightly he could feel the jolts of electricity shooting from one to the other. Mark didn't dare move yet though, afraid that his body would take over and end the whole thing sooner than he wanted. He watched Randy's hip roll into his, mesmerized by it. Soon however, his head rolled back, the motions growing in strength. Mark kept his eyes on Randy's face and took pleasure in seeing the pleasure he was receiving. Randy's eyes were shut, his mouth open just a bit, enough for Mark to hear his moans. Feeling eyes on him though, he opened his and when they met with Mark's he leaned in to meet their lips.

Once he pulled his mouth away, the Viper tilted his head and kissed the other man's jaw and soon down his neck where he found Mark's pulse point. He gripped Mark's shoulders as soon as he increased rocking. Neither one of them could hold back the moans of their actions. Hips meeting hips, abs and chests meeting together as well, Randy sucking gently on his neck, feeling the muscles in his thighs flex and relax under his hands - it was far too much for Mark to take and soon he was bucking his own hips up in an attempt to create more fire between them. Leaning forward to catch Randy's mouth, Mark pulled all but one of the pillows from behind him and shifted both of their weight so he could lie back completely. He grabbed hold of the Legend Killer's hips and steadied him as their motions became stronger and more vigorous. The sounds of excitement and passion grew louder as their bodies met at harder and faster pace; their breathing became shallow as they rode dangerously on the edge of satisfaction. "Let me touch you," Mark asked, but waited for no answer. He ran his hand across Randy's sex lines and looked up to see his face as gripped his manhood. "Oh fuck," was what he was rewarded with. With only two strokes, Randy lost concentration on his movements and stopped completely, just as Mark had hoped. his intention was to build up to a frenzy and then settle down before their climax came and went without the chance to truly savor it. Mark took in a deep breathe to calm himself, as he slowly stroked Randy's length, giving him enough pleasure to enjoy, but ensuring that he wouldn't climax just yet. "Please." Randy voiced hitched. "I need more." Giving in to both of their needs, Mark tightened his grip and began thrusting up once again, slowly. "Fuck," was all Randy could muster. All of the sensations that had slipped from him a mere moment ago hitting him hard again. Soon enough Randy's head was spinning as he fought for air. Mark's desires were creeping up and he was soon biting his lower lip, without his knowledge. Now, Randy concentrated on his face and found pleasure in watching his lover's pleasure. Leaning forward to rest his weight on one forearm, he rocked his hips into Mark's, as Mark's thrust in and out of him at an increasing pace. Randy hovered over Mark, and lapped and kissed his chest, working his way up to take his lip in his mouth to nip. He took over his mouth and Mark was happy to swallow the moans that escaped Randy. He gripped Mark's hand on his cock and guided his motions to better suit his desire. "Faster," he pleaded and Mark couldn't deny him any further. Both his hand and his hips moved faster and Randy matched him with his own movements. "I'm right on the edge, Mark." Randy grunted. Every sensation grew too strong; Mark's grip on his waist, his hand gripping his cock and being stretched my Mark's were too much for the younger man and with a last gasp of air, he felt his release spill out over them. The sound of Randy's climax, the increased tightness Randy had on him, the tug and pull he felt on his cock, the moans escaping the younger man and the constant attention from his mouth did Mark in and he released with a howl just a moment behind him.

"Like a Greek God, that's what you are, love," Mark said returning the sentiment from earlier, when he found strength in his voice. Mark pulled out from Randy and allowed him to fall to the side in exhaustion. Randy's lips found Mark's and after a moment he released them. "I wish that this could have happened sooner," Randy said. "I'm happy with you and everything you give to me. I love your family and your kids. I hope you know that I appreciate you and how hard it must have been to give in to this relationship. That isn't just a new pet name, Mark. I do love you." Mark was sure his heart had skipped a beat at hearing those words. "Well," he said after a moment. "It wasn't as hard as you think. It was a great decision and I have absolutely no regrets about making it." He paused for a second. "And I do love you too."

xXx

As arranged, Randy flew out to Texas a day early. "Give me a call when you get there." Randy nodded, "I will. I'll talk to you soon, Mark." he spoke into his phone. "Give the girls a hug for me, will you?" Mark asked. "You got it."

xXx

"Matt, I just don't feel like going out alright. I'm not feeling well, I'm tired and I'm sore. You guys go." Jeff said, lying through his teeth. After giving up, Matt decided to let the subject go. He wasn't sure whether he believed Jeff, but he wasn't going to push the matter anymore. He was certainly still going to worry and probably worry the whole time he was out with the guys, but he was going to drop it.

Jeff had been acting weird the last couple of days and Matt was getting worried he might be ready to go back to his bad habits, which habits those were, he wasn't sure of yet. Once Matt had left, Jeff let out a sigh of relief. He had been waiting for a couple of days to get a couple of hours to himself. He loved his brother, but he had to cringe at how much time they spent with each other. "Can't be healthy for brothers…" he said to himself. He had to distract himself for an or so, just to be sure that Matt was out of the hotel and hopefully already drinking away the work week.

_Do it once. And then that's it. You just got tested. You'll be in the clear for a month or so. No one else has to know. Not even Matt. Just avoid Mark at all costs. He'll know. He always knows, that asshole. _Jeff thought to himself. Trying to convince himself that he could go through with what he was planning on doing.

He'd been feeling like shit the past two weeks, but he didn't know why. He thought maybe it was that deadly fusion of jealousy and depression, but he waved it off. If that was what he was feeling, he'd rather not deal with it. Feeling like shit and the constant hell his body was in, was beginning to be too much for him to take. Normally he'd be able to talk through any troubles with Matt, but Matt was busy dealing with his own stuff and he didn't want to add himself to that mix for his brother. He thought about maybe calling Mark a few times. Maybe he could help him deal with all of this, he knew Mark wouldn't hesitate to help him. But having to open himself to Mark's life wasn't something he was interested in the moment, no matter how much he would have liked some help in dealing with his issues. The whole situation with Mark and Randy and himself simply made him feel worse and only made his mind race for what he really wanted to do.

Again, thinking about Mark was making him feel worse. Jeff glanced over at the time on the clock. Twenty-six minutes… Matt had to be out of the hotel by now. Sighing, he got up from his spot in bed and put the door jam in place on the door, just in case.

xXx

With a deep sigh, Mark put his book down on the bedside table. His eyes were tired with sleep, but as his stomach had been kindly reminding him, he was very hungry. He looked down at his watch. It was late, but not late enough to drive out for a bite to eat.

A couple of weeks before, he admitted to Randy, all issues of the past long forgotten on Randy's end, that he was feeling bad that Jeff hadn't been so accepting of his friendship. They both agreed to put the past behind them for good and to move on, as friends. Mark wasn't expecting anything drastic, but he certainly was hoping something would change between them. The fact the youngest Hardy brother still didn't want to move on frustrated him, but even more so, it hurt a bit. Once again, mature beyond belief, Randy offered his advice on how Mark could go about gaining this friendship he was seeking.

He fought with himself on whether he would be hurting Randy by doing this. He admitted his feelings for him, and here he was thinking about Jeff. The amazing thing about Randy though, was that he understood Mark's need to try to work things out with Jeff. He knew every bit of their history and was willing to let him have this still. Randy trusted that Mark's feelings were with him, not Jeff anymore. He accepted him with this horrible flaw of caring for those he loved, even when they broke his heart. He cursed himself for having such a great thing right in front of him and still be unhappy about his relationship with Jeff.

With a sigh, Mark grabbed his phone and called Jeff. Even after constant egging from Randy, he still felt horrible going through with it, especially after the night before, but he had to either do it or forget about Jeff completely.

After four rings, Jeff's voicemail played. Hanging up, Mark waited and tried again.

xXx

Jeff walked over to his backpack after making sure the door was locked and the door jam was set. He had gotten this from a guy he knew in North Carolina, not exactly a friend, but someone he had once considered a friend, and because he and Matt had decided to drive into South Carolina for the week's shows, he thought now would be his best chance at doing this.

Walking into the bathroom, he set the clear package full of the white, powdery substance on the bathroom counter and proceeded with his old routine. One line down, Jeff sat back against the bathtub. He hated himself for doing what he was doing, but he knew it'd make him feel better. For a little while, at least. Tilting his head back he closed his eyes and let his mind relax. Unfortunately though, relaxing was the one thing his mind wasn't willing to do. Before he could stop himself, Jeff was thinking about Mark. Thinking about how happy he used to be before everything had been royally fucked up. He wasn't even sure who had screwed up anymore. It wasn't important though. Everything was screwed up and everything he had with Mark was gone. He thought about all the times they'd fought and that made him angry.

_What the fuck was wrong with us that we couldn't be just a normal couple? _Jeff thought. "Yeah, we're two faggots in a business where we're not allowed to have personal lives. One of us is a drugged-up mess and the other plays house with his fucking family three days a week." He snorted to himself, in disgust. After a moment though, he scolded himself. _It's not their fault. We're the ones who are screwed up. He shouldn't have led me on all this time though. Not if he didn't want me to be a part of his family. _With a shake of his head he disagreed himself. _You we're part of his family. That's why he always came back. You're the one who had to leave before he could leave you. _

Feeling himself starting to slip, he looked up at the counter. Holding back whatever tears were starting to form in his eyes of his own doing, he got up and took the remaining line.

xXx

Mark waited a few minutes, thinking maybe Jeff was in the shower and couldn't get to his phone. After a few minutes, he sent a text message. _Jeff, I'm starving and thought maybe you would be interested in joining me? - Mark. _

After another ten minutes, Mark wanted to just head out on his own, but he wanted to see Jeff and knew he'd feel much too guilty to see him when Randy was around. He finally felt so much relief lifted after the night before, he was afraid doing something like this would set them back again. After taking a moment to shake the thought of how shady it was to want to see Jeff behind Randy's back and trusting Randy enough to believe him when he said he wouldn't mind if he tried to work things out again. As a last resort, Mark thought to try calling Matt. Where one Hardy is, the other is usually nearby.

"Hello?" Matt answered, cupping his hand over his mouth to make sure he could be heard over the loud music playing. "Matt? It's Mark…" Mark answered. "Oh hey, Mark." Matt replied. "Hold on a second, Mark." Mark waited, noting that Matt had probably moved into the bathroom to speak, as the music was barely noticeable now. "What's up, Mark?" "I was wondering if Jeff was with you." he asked. "No, he wasn't feeling too great so he decided to stay back at the hotel. Did you try calling him?" Matt inquired. "I did, but he hasn't answered, so I thought I'd check with you." Matt was sure his brother wouldn't approve of what he was about to ask of Mark, but he wasn't concerned with that at the moment. "Are you at the hotel?" Matt asked him. "Yeah." Mark answered. "Could you go over and check on him for me?" Matt added after a moment, "If you can. I shouldn't have left him by himself." "Yeah." he told him, already getting up and getting his boots on. "I'll go right now. What room?"

Once Matt had given him the room number, Mark was out in the hallway and in the elevator.

xXx

Hearing someone knock on the door, Jeff bolted up from where he was on the bathroom floor. "Shit…. Who the hell is that?" he said to himself. He quickly dusted what little remained of the white powder, washed his face and wiped his nose. "Jeff?" he heard come from behind the door and immediately froze. _Shit. Shit. SHIT! _he thought to himself after hearing Mark banging on the door. He took a quick moment to appreciate Mark's ability to know exactly when he was doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

With a deep breath he answered out, "who the hell is it?" He hoped his fake, sleepy voice would fool the larger man. "Jeff. Open the door. It's Mark." Jeff grimaced at how both angry and worried Mark sounded. "What is it? I feel like shit and I wanna sleep." "Damn it, Jeff. If you don't open this door…" Jeff ruffled his hair to somewhat play up what he was pretending.

He opened the door and saw Mark standing there, looking ready to ram the door down. "What the fuck, man?" Jeff acted. Mark took a second to study the man before him. "What took you so damn long? I tried calling you, but you didn't answer. Matt said you weren't feeling well and asked me to check on you." he said to him, still studying and noting how Jeff was acting. "I'm sick. Not dying." Jeff said as coolly as he could. "Thanks for coming by, I'll make sure to tell Matt not to bother you next time."  
"He wasn't bothering me. I was calling to see if you wanted to get something to eat." The Deadman told him. "Oh." Jeff paused. "Well thanks, but I'm really not feeling well, so if you don't mind, I think…." "Your nose," Mark pointed out, cutting Jeff off. He walked into the room, pushing Jeff back a bit. Jeff reached and felt the thick, red liquid falling from his nose. "Shit…" he said.

Mark pinched the bridge of Jeff's nose and walked him into the bathroom. "Mark, it's just a bloody nose. I've had hundreds of them. I got this." Jeff said, trying to pry Mark from his side. "Yeah, I know you have." Mark said, his voice becoming harsher. He knew. From the moment Jeff answered him, he knew something was wrong. "Sit down." he said, pushing Jeff down onto the closed toilet seat. "Fuck, man. Take it easy or get the hell out. I can take care of this myself." "Lord knows you know exactly what to do." Mark told him. "Fuck you. It's from being sick." Jeff lied again. "Knock off this charade, Jeff." Jeff had to flinch at that. He'd been in this same situation many times and it never got easier hearing Mark yell at him. "Fuck…" "Shut up and stay put," Mark ordered, handing him a clump of tissue paper. He walked out of the room, over to the mini-fridge. Luckily there was a small bucket of ice in there; he took it into the bathroom where he pulled out the bandana he had in his back pocket and wrapped a cube of ice in it. He placed it at the bridge of Jeff's nose, then brought out the small trash can from under the sink for Jeff to dump the soiled tissues, not noticing the flash of fear in Jeff's eyes as he did so. He handed him another wad of tissue as he put the trash can back in it's place and took off into the room.

After a minute, Jeff jumped at hearing Mark. "Where the fuck is it, Jeff?" he yelled, the anger very much apparent in his voice. He walked back into the bathroom as Jeff was wiping the last of the blood. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." Jeff said defiantly. Mark nodded in disgust. He turned away for a moment to think back to where he'd found Jeff's stash in the past. He turned back to Jeff, who was standing with a hard look on his face. He was determined to not give anything away. He had to deal with being caught before, but Mark had no business treating him like this now, he thought.

Mark picked up the trash can once again and dumped it's contents into the large sink. It was mostly empty and Mark didn't find anything he was looking for. Finally, he pulled the entire bag from the can and found what he knew was there. He pulled out the small plastic baggy and carefully pulled out the razor blade.

"What's all this shit, Jeff?" Mark asked, his tone now more full of disappointment than anger. He looked at Jeff to answer, but he still held onto his defiance. "I don't owe you an explanation, Mark, so don't act like I do." Jeff tried to walk out of the bathroom that to him, was getting smaller by the minute. Mark quickly caught his arm though. "You don't owe me an explanation? I come here and find this shit here and you don't owe me an explanation?" Jeff shook his head, "let me go, Mark. And get the hell out of here now." When Mark refused to let go, Jeff tried again. "Seriously, get the fuck out now." "You get a couple of bumps and bruises and go straight back this shit to-" Before Mark could finish his sentence, Jeff laid a right hand to his jaw. In his current state though, it wasn't too effective.

Mark finally let go to clutch his aching jaw. It wasn't the most powerful hit he'd ever taken from the smaller man, but it did catch him off guard. Rubbing at the sore spot, he turned back to Jeff, who was trying to still his quivering lip.

"Why?" was all Mark could ask. "Why didn't you go to Matt to help you out with whatever brought you to this? Or Hunter. Why the hell didn't you come to me? I thought you were better than that shit now, Jeff? Why now?" Jeff couldn't hold back anymore. "Why didn't I come to you? How was I supposed to do that?" Jeff held his hand to his ear, as if speaking on a phone. "Hey Mark, it's Jeff. You're ex-boyfriend. Sorry to interrupt you and your new boyfriend, but I'm getting antsy for some coke. Mind coming over and sucking my cock like the good ol' days to help me forget the craving?" Mark lowered his head, half out of embarrassment and half out of not knowing what to say. "Exactly." Jeff nodded. "You could have come to me, Jeff. I thought we were clear on that. I thought we were good." Jeff laughed, "right, Mark. Everything's great between us. I love you, but I can't have you. So let's be buddies. I'm sure Randy wouldn't mind that one bit." he spat bitterly. "He wouldn't." Mark defended Randy. "He wouldn't mind that at all." Jeff couldn't disagree; he knew Randy probably wouldn't mind, but he wasn't going to admit that. Letting all of those memories and heartaches come back to him, Jeff couldn't hold back any of the tears that he had been holding back. He pushed Mark out and locked himself in the bathroom before Mark could stop him. "Just get outta here now, Mark." Jeff swiped his hand in the sink to get rid of the trash and turned the water on. Mark had no intentions of leaving. Especially not now. "Get out here, Hardy." Mark bellowed over the running water. He silently worried himself after realizing that a drugged-up Jeff was emotionally unstable at the moment and locked in the bathroom with the razor blade he had been using earlier. _No, he isn't that stupid. _Mark thought in an attempt to comfort himself.

Jeff looked at himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes and red stains under his nose. He shook his head in disgust and washed his face. He rested his weight on his palms, on either side of the sink. A small glisten caught his eye. He turned to see the small blade sitting on the counter. He picked it up and tapped it against the tile as he looked back at his reflection. He questioned why he had done what he had done. Of course he was in pain; he was always in pain, it came with the job. And of course he was depressed, he went from being with Mark to watching him every week with Randy.

He tried his best to play the Jeff everyone was used to, but inside he was torn up by seeing Mark and Randy so happy with each other all the time. He wanted nothing more than to again be the one who Mark would lead by the small of the back as they walked through a door; he wanted Mark to wrap his arm around his waist for no real reason other than to be closer to him. He secretly wished that it was him who would disappear up into the nosebleed seats of the arena with Mark, just to sit and talk and watch what was happening down below at ringside. The times when Jeff would allow his mind to be free of all the feelings he held towards Mark, he'd turn a random corner in some arena or walk into some hotel bar or restaurant and there they'd be. Flaunting what he couldn't have anymore. The times he hated most were the times he saw them out in the public. He never felt like a dirty secret when he was with Mark, and although they couldn't be together publicly for both of their career's sake, Mark was married then. He had a family that he needed to look out for, first and foremost. Everyone in the company knew, and true to their family bond, no one ever mentioned it to someone who had no business knowing about them. Jeff hated catching a small look or gesture that suggested that there was something much deeper going on than common courtesy between friends. To the world outside of their large, extended family, those glances and touches meant nothing. To Jeff though, they meant everything. He couldn't have those things. If he and Mark had stayed together and had worked through all of their problems, he could have claimed those glances and touches. But they weren't for him, so he hated that they were for Randy. He hated all of it really, and he hated what his feelings made him do.

Mark looked down at his watch. Jeff had been in there for almost an hour. He wasn't sure what he could do. From underneath the door he could see Jeff pacing back and forth and every once in a while he could hear his sighing. He really didn't want to aggravate Jeff anymore than he probably already had, but he was getting antsy just waiting for him.

With a quiet knock at the door, Jeff jumped out of his thoughts. "Mark, please go back to your room. You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine now, alright? I'm sorry about this." he pleaded. "Jeff, you know I can't do that." Mark said. "You know I'm too stubborn to do that." To his relief, he heard Jeff give a short laugh. "Get out here, will you? I've got to use the John." He heard another short laugh. After some fidgeting he heard the door unlock. He reached for the doorknob and opened it, showing Jeff standing there. "All yours." he said, motioning to the toilet, with a slight grin.

Before he could think about what he was doing, he pulled Jeff into a hug and was genuinely shocked when he felt the familiar, small arms wrap around his waist.

"Matt's gonna be so fucking pissed off." Jeff said into his chest. "I'M so fucking pissed off, Jeff." Mark said. "Yeah, but you can't do much with your arms around me." Mark tried to pull his arms away, but he couldn't. Jeff didn't need to be yelled at again, and at the moment, Jeff's health was a little more important than worrying about what he would tell Randy.

After a few minutes of standing together, Mark finally let go and he heard Jeff let out a small sigh. "Jeff, I can't let this go. You know that." he asked. Jeff nodded, "I know." He went out into the bedroom and leaned against the edge of the small table. "For what it's worth, I wasn't planning on going back to this. I was just going to do it this once, to forget about the pain and…. Everything." he trailed off. "That's no excuse, Jeff." Mark said. "You can't do this anymore. Not even just once." He watched as Jeff nodded his head. "Is there any more?" "No. That was all of it." Jeff said. Catching the look on Mark's face, he added, "that was it, Mark. I promise." Jeff sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed with his arms resting on his knees. "So, are we gonna talk about this?" Mark asked, breaking the silence. All Jeff could do was shake his head, no longer in defiance, but out of shame. "Look man, I appreciate you coming over and helping me out. Again. But this isn't you problem anymore and you don't have to stay and watch over me. Talk to Matt, talk to Vince, do what you gotta do, but there's no need for you to care now." Mark was insulted at those words. "You must really think I'm a grade-A asshole." Jeff looked up in confusion. "Mark…," he said. "It's not like that, I'm just saying you don't have to put up with this anymore." "It breaks my heart to see you using that shit again, Jeff. I don't know why you can't see that I still care about you, no matter what's happened in the past between us. If you need to talk about whatever it is that's got you back in this position, I'm here. I'm always here for you. How is it that you still don't know that?" "Look, I don't want to fight. I didn't come to you because I thought it'd be too weird." the younger man said. "Especially because you're the reason why I wanted this." Jeff knew the second he finished speaking that what he said wasn't fair to say, even if it was partially true.

Six months isn't really a long time to come up with a new chapter, is it? Agh! I'm SORRY! I hope that I haven't lost every single one of you who took the time to read my story. Please don't give up on me. I'm trying. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It was hell to write. Please, please, please **REVIEW** and stay with me here. I'm gonna post again soon. I PROMISE! You guys are great. THANK YOU! And again, I promise to update on a much more timely schedule. 3333333333333


	23. Chapter 23

"I'm the reason for you doing this again?" Mark asked in confusion. His guilt was again eating at him. Of course, he caused so much pain to Jeff in the past, it wasn't that far-fetched to understand how he could have attributed to Jeff's poor decision making. Jeff could see how deflated the usually tall and confidant man had suddenly become. He cursed himself for his poor choice of words. "That isn't exactly what I meant." Jeff tried to cover up, but it was no use.

Mark's shoulders slumped as he thought of what he could say to what Jeff had admitted. He took a deep breathe and said, "Jeff, I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to be so hurt over my actions. I should have just left you alone. I didn't mean for you to feel so trapped that you had to resort to this again." Mark rambled on, unsure of what he really meant and needed to say. Jeff stood once again and tried to comfort the larger man; tell him he didn't need to apologize. He could hear the guilt in Mark's voice and he truly hated himself for saying what he had said. When Mark paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts, Jeff walked closer to him, "I misspoke. I didn't mean it the way it sounded. This isn't your fault," he told the older man. "This _is_ all my fault. I should have realized that I was making things harder for you. With Randy, and you and Randy, I just didn't see what was happening. I shouldn't have pushed you as much as I have; and I shouldn't have just left you that night."

Mark stopped pacing and stood in front of the smaller man. Jeff froze at those words. "Do you mean that, Mark?" he asked. "That you shouldn't have left that night." Mark thought for a second, trying to carefully choose his words. "I've said I was tired of apologizing, but seeing you so broken again and knowing that I am the reason for it… I can't help but want to beg for your forgiveness. I never wanted this whole mess, Jeff." he paused again, then answered the question. "Yes. I wish I would have done something differently that night."

Before he could say anything else, Jeff grabbed the other man's face in his hands and smashed their lips together. Shocked at first, Mark remained still. His brain told him to pull away. This wasn't what he had come here for. Jeff silently pleaded for Mark to relax though; to just give in, and finally, grabbing Jeff's hips and parting his lips for Jeff, Mark gave in.

When the need for oxygen became to overwhelming, they parted.

"Jeff…" Mark trailed off, searching for something to say. "We can't go back and fix our mistakes. What's happened has happened. You and I weren't good together anymore. We won't-"

"I never wanted any of this either." Jeff interrupted, not wanting to hear what else Mark had to say.

The effects of Jeff's drug use were certainly in action. Naturally a very energetic person, his drug of choice often caused him to relax. While he was high, he felt much bolder and confidant then he really was. His decision to kiss Mark was certainly an act of boldness. With his confidence soaring, Jeff expressed his feelings.

"I made more mistakes with you than I can remember, but you always forgave me. It's the least I can do to forgive you." Jeff said, his breathing no longer labored. "But please don't think that this was all your fault. It wasn't; it never has been. I make my decisions. Like I chose to believe that by you leaving to be with your family, it meant you didn't have enough love for me as well. I was wrong. You always had enough for me. I wanted you, but I couldn't let you in completely. That was my mistake. I've always caused my own heartache, Mark. You only did everything you could to prove how much you did love me. If not for my mistakes, neither one of us would be in the position we're in. I'm sorry. I would give anything to just take it all back and save us both so much hurt." Mark could hear all of the pain and sadness in Jeff. He hated it and, in an instant, decided to end it.

This time, before Jeff could say anything else, Mark was the one to press their lips together. Jeff wasn't hesitant however. He wanted everything Mark offered him; he couldn't deny that. With their tongues dueling for dominance, Jeff walked backwards, heading for the bed. When the backs of his knees felt the bed frame, Jeff dropped down; pulling Mark with him. Mark followed suit, holding up his larger frame above Jeff's.

All the feelings Mark had for Jeff were poured into the kisses he gave him. Though all of these renewed feelings felt so familiar to him, Mark knew that they felt different as well. But with Jeff sprawled underneath him, his lust for the younger man grew faster than his senses.

All he knew in that moment was Jeff. All he felt was need to rid them both of their pain and guilt over hurting one another. They both hurt each other, and he just wanted to make them forget it all.

Mark sat up a bit, Jeff still attached to his lips; his hands fumbled with Jeff's belt. He needed Jeff at that very moment, and by moans escaping Jeff's lips as Mark's hand brushed against his groin, Jeff needed him too. Jeff's mouth searched for Mark's pulse and when he found it, he sucked on the flesh, secretly hoping to leave a mark for all the world to see.

"Shit." Mark muttered as he struggled to pull the clothing from Jeff's body. As much as he didn't want to, Jeff pushed him back a bit and rid himself of his clothing. Mark did the same, pausing long enough to take a condom out of a small metal case in his jeans.

With that goal accomplished, they now had no restrictions between them. Their mouths devoured the one another and Jeff's hands roamed, pinched and rubbed at the larger body on top of him. Mark tore open the small foil package and sheathed his aching manhood.

"I need you so bad." Jeff whispered. His eyes were glazed over with lust and told Mark to hurry and rid them both of what they had done in the past.

Jeff wrapped his arms around his neck and with a grunt, Mark plunged into the tight heat he'd once known so well. Jeff suppressed his own grunt as he was filled completely my Mark. It hurt, but he knew, like with all the hurt they'd caused each other before, it would all go away soon. Jeff hissed at the sensations he was feeling, but soon his moans filled the room. Mark drove his hips deep into Jeff's. The heat and tightness of Jeff's opening was almost too much for him, but he continued to thrust into the man beneath him. Mark's mouth latched onto Jeff's neck. He kissed and nibbled on the soft skin as Jeff threw his head back, thrusting his hips up to meet Mark's. Within just a few minutes, it was all becoming too much for them both. Mark reached between them and grabbed Jeff's member in his large hand and pumped in time with his hips.

Hearing Jeff's moans grow in his ear and then suddenly quiet down was a sign Mark knew meant he was almost ready to come undone. Mark swiftly changed his position, hoisting one of Jeff's legs to rest on the bed frame as he drove further into oblivion. Quickening his hand's pace, Mark coaxed Jeff into the abyss with him. "Please don't hurt anymore," Mark whispered to him, just before taking his mouth once again. Jeff placed one of his own hands over Mark's and with a buck of his hips let his release spill over their stomachs. Jeff's body clenching down on his cock, and his hips still rolling against Mark's was the last bit for his undoing. Both men held their eyes shut as they both gasped for air and their bodies relaxed.

Jeff's phone ringing was what drew them out of their bliss. "Oh shit, that's probably Matt." he said. Mark stood up on shaky knees and gathered his clothes. "I should have called him to let him know everything was alright." he told Jeff. "I better leave before he gets back. Will you be alright on your own until then?" Jeff nodded, "yeah, I'm okay now." he smiled. After both men were dressed, Jeff planted another searing kiss to Mark's lips, which he gladly returned. "Are you sure you'll be alright, Jeff? I don't want to leave you by yourself." Mark asked concerned. Again Jeff nodded, "I didn't use very much, I'll be fine in a few hours. I promise. Please don't worry about me. Besides, Matt will probably be here soon. You need to go." He let his thumb trail over the faint red mark on Mark's neck. "I was hoping I would leave a mark." Jeff admitted with a small smile. "So that everyone could see." he added.

It was in that moment, in those words that realization hit Mark. He didn't immediately regret what he and Jeff had just done, but a new wave of guilt soon overtook him. Before Jeff could catch on to what he was thinking, Mark made for the door. He turned around and told Jeff he'd be going home in the morning, but that he wanted to see him when he came back to work.

He wasn't even sure what he wanted to see Jeff about when he returned. His heart told him it was to set the record straight on what had just happened between them, but his head told him there would be no one to go back to if he did cut off ties with Jeff.

The walk back to his hotel room was a sobering one. He couldn't wrap his head around what he'd done. He never once even entertained the idea of sleeping with another man while he was with Jeff. How could he have betrayed Randy in that manner? Randy, a man who was a prince through everything he and Jeff had put him through.

He hoped that Randy could forgive him for the suffering just once more, but he couldn't fully convince himself that that would be the outcome.

**xXx**

For goodness sake, I first published this story in Jan. **2009**! The last time I updated was Jan. **2011**! It's almost **2012**!

I know I said this the last time, but I do really mean it now, I **promise** to start updating more often. I'll shoot for a chapter a month and see where that goes.

**Please, please, please** - I hope that you all haven't forgotten about this tale of three men in a love triangle. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and will review it. Please.

I will get started on the next chapter as soon as I get a _**review.**_ I pinky promise! So, please review and let me know if my writing has improved in the 8 months I've been away.

_**THANK YOU!**_ to all those who still want to see an end to this story. We're getting closer, I swear.

_**REVIEW!**_


	24. Chapter 24

The plane ride back to his home was less then comfortable for Mark. He hadn't been able to sleep very much the night before. He tossed around the idea of calling up Randy and confessing to him, but he thought better of that and decided the best thing he could do was to fess up to his actions face-to-face. He did call his younger lover, but only to tell him that he had changed plans with Sara, and he no longer had to pick up his girls. He told Randy that he needed to take care of business and it would be best if the girls weren't there.

Though Randy thought it was odd that Mark hadn't mentioned any business the night before when they spoke on the phone, he didn't think too much of the subject. There was nothing to really question.

As the plane touched down in Texas in the early evening and Mark could already feel his heart sink. He didn't want to explain his actions. He had no reasonable excuse; there was no excuse for what he did. What he hated most about his situation though, was that he couldn't bring himself to simply tell Jeff that that was the end. He couldn't tell Jeff it was a mistake, what they did, and it wouldn't happen again. He didn't want for it to happen again, at least he didn't think he did. Mark was completely confused by it all; how on earth was he to explain it all to Randy?

Opting for a rental care instead of having Randy pick him up at the airport allowed Mark an additional forty minutes to mull over what he would say to explain himself. Those extra minutes came and went quickly though; soon Mark was pulling into the driveway of the large home he often shared with Randy.

With his stomach churning, he decided it would be appropriate to just get everything out in the open. There was no point in making them both wait. Mark opened the door and left his duffel bag and suitcase in the foyer before searching for Randy.

"Randy," he called out. He checked the living room and office and found no sign of him, it was then that he heard the sliding back door in the kitchen close. The slender man poked his head out of the kitchen in time to see Mark walking towards him. "I thought I heard a car pull up." Randy said as he walked to Mark. "Hi," he said, catching the older man in a soft, but meaningful kiss. "How are you, love?" Mark asked, trying not to give himself away before he could properly address the matter at hand. "Bored. I had a day of activities planned for the girls and myself." Randy told him. Mark felt his heart sink even further. "Sit down and relax. Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes." Randy said, pulling out a chair for Mark as he walked into the kitchen to check on their dinner. "I'm sorry, they were disappointed you wouldn't be picking them up this morning." Randy offered a small, sad smirk in response. "What business did you need to take care of?" he asked. Mark swallowed the lump in his throat.

When Mark gave no immediate answer, Randy turned away from the cupboard and looked at the other man. Finally noticing that something was wrong, he asked "Is everything alright?" All Mark could do was slightly shake his head. "What is it? Are you alright?" Randy asked in concern. "No, I'm not." Mark said. "But please, sit down." Randy set the dishes in his hands down and sat next to Mark, confusion and concern clearly written in his chiseled face.

Mark turned his head to the table in front of him, unable to look the other man in his eyes. "I've done something terrible," he started. "I wish that I could give you a reasonable answer as to why, but the honest truth is that I can't. I can only tell you that I am incredibly sorry." Randy shook his head, "Mark, what exactly are you talking about?" Mark took a breath, "last night, I made the mistake of sleeping with Jeff. I can not begin to express how awful I feel," Mark finally admitted. He wasn't sure of what Randy's reaction would be, but he was surprised when he heard a bitter laugh escape the man's lips. Shaking his head in disbelief, the only thing Randy could think to do was stand up and leave the room.

Randy stepped into the hallway and instead of letting himself dwell on any details of what he had just heard, he pondered what he should do.

Mark was right behind him though. "Randy, please, sit down and let's-" before he could finish his sentence, Randy raised his hands to stop him. "Please, don't ask me to listen to the details of your affair. Spare me that, please." When Randy turned his back to the taller man, Mark walked back in front of him, unwilling to let the matter go. "Allow me to explain myself, will you? I'm sorry for what I've done, but please let me explain myself." Mark asked of him. "I don't care to hear your reasons." Randy started up the stairs, trying to get some space of his own. Mark was quick to grab his wrist though. "Can we please just sit down and discuss this for a minute?" he pleaded. Randy looked his lover in his eyes, "no." he said simply. "I believe I've listened to enough of you and Jeff. I didn't mind it before; I understood your need to be close with him still." Randy swallowed the lump in his throat now. "But this time, I've heard enough. This is no longer about you and I dealing with Jeff's affections for you. It's obvious this whole matter has grown into more than what we expected. I can't be apart of it anymore. And I am incredibly sorry too." "No, love, don't say that." Mark said, his heart breaking.

Randy shook his head again and continued up the stairs and into their bedroom. Though his emotions were overwhelming, he kept his composure. He wasn't going to allow himself to lose it in front of Mark. He closed the door and grabbed his suitcase from the closet and quickly gathered his belongings. He searched for his clothing in one of the dressers, and it was then that it became too much for him. He gently closed the drawer and walked back to the bed where his case sat. He threw the clothing in his hand into the case. He doubled over in grief and into the large plush bed, he yelled and punched with one fist. His face grew red and his eyes moistened. He turned over and sat on the bed, giving him a moment to collect himself.

He stood with a deep breath, closed his suitcase and walked out of the bedroom. Before he made his way down the staircase, he stopped to grab something from the girl's bedroom. He walked into the room and took a picture down from the small, purple message board that housed numerous of pictures. The photo he grabbed and slipped into the backpack slung over his shoulder was of Mark, his kids and himself. It was taken at the birthday party they held for Mark's oldest daughter. They had to be on the road for her actual birthday, so they held a small party for her and a few friends, along with Mark's family, a week before. He did feel bad for taking it, but it was one of the few pictures with them all, and he wanted something to remember the family he had fallen for.

Once he was downstairs, he spotted Mark standing against the kitchen countertop. When Mark raised his head to see Randy, suitcase in hand, he immediately started pleading with the younger man again; a small panic erupted in him. "Randy, please don't go." he said trying to stop and take the suitcase from his hands. "If you could only give me a moment to explain. I'm asking that you just give me a chance. I don't deserve one, I know, but please. You don't have to do this." The slightly shorter man pushed passed him though. "I can't, Mark. I-" Mark's own emotions boiled over now. "Damn it, Randy. I am begging you; for you to just stop, for just a minute." "I can't discuss this with you right now. Maybe after I've had a chance to collect my thoughts properly." "That's fine. You can stay here at home and I'll leave. I can do that."

Randy couldn't help but feel for the older man. He had never heard Mark sound so desperate before and though he didn't want to admit it, but it did hurt to see him in that state. He could see in his eyes that he was sorry, but that didn't erase what he did. He wasn't interested in hearing why or how it had happened; all he needed to know was that it had happened. His eyes held small pools of tears, and that hurt Randy to see, but it wasn't enough for him to change his mind. As much as he wanted to stay and try to quickly fix whatever it was that needed fixing, he needed to leave. "I'm sorry. It's for the best that I go now."

**xXx**

Ah ha! All of you** lovely, lovely** reviewers only had to wait 24 hours for the next chapter! I'm on a rrrooolll!

But I do have a question for you all... have these past two chapters been... acceptable? I haven't been completely thrilled with how i've written Mark. What do you guys think - Is it coming across okay? Is he too different from what he has been like in previous chapters?

Please let me know. I'm looking for some honest feedback.

I hope you all will **review** with your thoughts on the story as well as the quality of my writing.

**slashdlite**: Challenge accomplished. =)


	25. Chapter 25

Again, Mark found himself tossing and turning through another sleepless night. Though he knew it was for the best, he cursed himself for telling Randy about his indiscretion with Jeff. He wanted to tell Randy; he didn't want anything looming over their relationship, but now he had no relationship. Although the younger man tried to hide it, Mark could see how hurt he was and how angry he was at the revelation. As always though, he kept his cool and went about the matter with grace. Mark finally sat up and looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read 4:43a.m.; he knew he it was useless to stay in bed and try to sleep because it wasn't going to happen. With a heavy sigh, he climbed out of the bed he once shared with Randy and took a shower.

Walking into the kitchen, he started the coffee machine and reached for the refrigerator door. He let out another sigh after seeing the few pictures of the other man on the door. He wanted to find Randy and make him sit down and talk to him, but in his desperation to keep him from walking out last night, he didn't even ask where he would be staying.

Around 6p.m. that evening, Mark tried calling him, but after a few rings, it went to voicemail. He left a message asking the Viper to call him back, so that he would at least know he was okay. He knew it would be a futile effort, but he just wanted to hear the younger man's voice. Mark couldn't remember the last time they went a day without hearing each other's voice. They always found time to talk, even if it was just for a few minutes at the end of the day.

On Monday afternoon, Mark said goodbye to his girls, who served as a nice distraction of the situation, but even still, he could not take his mind off of Randy. He hadn't heard from him at all and wondered if he was okay. "Of course he isn't okay," Mark scolded himself, on his way to the airport. He shook his head at what a fool he had been. He hurt the one man he was trying so hard not to hurt. With his mind on Randy, he hadn't even thought about what he would say to Jeff when he saw him again on Tuesday. Being reminded of that gave him a new anxiety to try to work through on his way back to work.

**xXx**

Arriving at the hotel, Mark checked into his room and dragged his tired body to the elevators. As he stepped into the elevator, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called Randy. He sighed when it rang and went to voicemail. "Randy, it's me. Please call me back. I'd really like to see you on Saturday at the show. Or before then." He hung up just as the doors opened to his floor. As he stared down the long hallway, he inwardly cringed when Matt Hardy walked out of his room. "Hey, Mark. Hold the elevator, will you?" Matt asked. Mark did so and greeted the eldest Hardy, "how's it going, Matt?" Matt nodded, "I'm good. Thanks. Listen, I never got a chance to thank you for checking on Jeff last week. I really appreciate it." "No problem at all." Mark said, hoping to just get away. "If you'll excuse me though, I'm a little tired from the plane ride." "Oh yeah, sorry. Just wanted to thank you. We both know what a handful Jeff can be." Mark faked a smirk as best as he could. "I'll see you tomorrow at the arena." Mark said, walking forward towards the end of the hall.

Before he could get to his room though he heard a familiar voice calling after him. He turned around and Jeff standing at the door of his room. The younger Hardy waved him over, flashing him a giant smile. "I want to show you something, Mark." Mark had hoped to save this talk for the following day as he really was tired from his flight, but relented. "Give me a minute," he said. Jeff flashed his smile again and walked back into his room, swinging the door jam over, so Mark could come right in.

A couple of minutes later, Mark knocked on the Hardy's door before slowly opening it. "Jeff?" he called out. Jeff bounced out of the closet and wrapped his arms around the Deadman's neck in a tight embrace. Mark returned the hug, it was a simple instinct he hadn't forgotten. "Jeff, we need to talk." Mark said. "I know, Marky. And we will, I promise. But I need to show you something first." Mark sighed. "What is it?" Jeff vanished into the bedroom and walked back out with a sketch pad in his hands. "This." he said. Mark opened the book to where Jeff had marked off. "They're amazing, Jeff." Mark looked at the next few drawings, admiring Jeff's talent. "Thank you. I drew them because of you." Mark looked up, confused. "I haven't been able to draw anything lately. At least nothing I liked." Jeff explained. "Last week, after you left, I grabbed my sketch book and just started drawing." Mark gave him a sad smile and returned to the drawings again. "I always told you, you were my inspiration. You never believed me, but you are, Mark."

Mark closed the book, "You're amazing, Jeff. You're talent has nothing to do with me." Jeff laughed before sitting down, bringing Mark down next to him. "Of course it does. You make me happy, Mark. You inspire me and make me want to be better." Mark could hear how genuine Jeff sounded and it killed him. "Then why were we never completely happy together; why weren't we better than we were?" Mark asked, squeezing the small hand that held his larger hand. Jeff leaned back against the sofa, propping his leg up on the coffee table in front of them. Mark turned to look at him, waiting for an answer. Jeff swallowed the lump in his throat, "I was in a bad place; you know that." Mark tried to hide the emotion he was suddenly feeling. "How can you say I make you happy and make you want to be better, when it's clear that I never did. I never made you happy enough, and I never made you be better. We wouldn't be in this position if I could have made you happier."

Jeff was taken back, he wasn't expecting Mark to act the way he was; to hear him so hurt. It broke his heart to hear Mark talk as if he was never enough for him. It had never dawned on him that he had made Mark feel that way.

"No, Marky…" Jeff said, sitting up and pulling Mark close to him. Mark was overwhelmed with the feelings he didn't even realize he was carrying and let the smaller man hug him. "I was happy. You gave me everything, you loved me more than I could have ever thought someone could, but I just…" he trailed off. "I was scared. You had a family that needed you and I just didn't know how to handle everything I was feeling. For ten years you loved me, and I didn't know how to love you back." Mark pulled away and wiped the tears that were forming in Jeff's eyes. "You made me so happy, Marky. I'm sorry I couldn't love you the same way you loved me, but I did love you." Jeff kissed the bigger man softly, but their hunger grew. It didn't last long though, as Mark pulled away again, letting his forehead rest against Jeff's as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do. "I do love you." Jeff said, shaking his thoughts away. Mark struggled for the words to say. He did love Jeff, but he wasn't sure of how he loved him. He wasn't sure of anything. "You don't have to say anything, Mark. It's okay." Jeff laughed. Mark just smiled at him, kissing his lips again.

Once the two were settled down a bit, leaning back on the sofa, looking through Jeff's sketch book again, Mark spoke up, his thoughts still heavy on his mind. "Randy left me after I told him." he said. "So then you did tell him?" Jeff asked, a frown settling into his face. "I wanted to talk to him about it, to figure things out, but he refused." Mark bitterly laughed at himself, "he couldn't even bring himself to be angry with me." Jeff wasn't sure what to say. "It probably took a lot for him to just walk away and not blow up." he said. Mark nodded, "I wish he would have done something, or said something." "It was probably best that he got out of there, Mark." Mark stared off into one of the drawings, "Jeff, I'm sorry, but there can't be anything between us until I talk to Randy. I'm just not comfortable doing this until I can talk to him." Jeff sat up, closing the sketch book again and tossing it to the coffee table before standing up. "Yeah, man. Talk to him and do what you gotta do." Mark stood up beside him, "I don't know what I'm going to do. I just need to talk to him." Jeff nodded again, "Matt should be getting back soon, so maybe you should go now." Mark looked at his watch, he'd been there for an hour. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" he told Jeff. "Yeah, tomorrow. I'll see you at the show." "Jeff, what's wrong, why are you acting like this?" Mark asked, remembering how difficult it was to be around Jeff sometimes. "It's nothing, Mark. I guess I was just hoping things would be back to normal." Jeff said. "We're getting there, something close to normal at least. I just need to figure things out, Jeff." Mark explained before stepping out of the room.

**xXx**

"Well?" Mark heard someone say as he walked into his locker-room. "Chris, what in the hell are you doing here?" Chris ignored the question. "When were you going to tell me what happened between you and Randy?" Mark sighed. He had enough on his mind and didn't want to listen to Chris lecture him on what had happened. "I've had a few things on my mind; I didn't have time to explain to you everything that's happened." Mark took a seat across from his friend. "Well I'm here now, so let's hear it." he said. "Didn't Randy already tell you? Or do you need for me to tell you myself?" the older man said. "I need to hear it from you," Chris said, "so let's hear it now." Mark grabbed a water and took a drink before finally explaining his situation to Chris.

"Mark, you are not the type of guy to do something like that. What got into you, how could you do that to Randy… and to Jeff?" Mark hung his head in shame, he wasn't sure why he had done it and had no excuse for it. "You probably haven't talked to Randy, have you?" Mark shook his head, "no, I haven't. I've tried calling him, but he hasn't answered." "No, how could you blame him?" Chris answered. "Damn it, Chris. I'm not blaming him for anything. This is my fault, I know that. I'm trying to do the best I can to deal with it and cause the least amount of damage." Chris nodded, "and who exactly will suffer the brunt of the damage this time?" Mark opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I've already asked him, but I'm going to ask again that he sit down and talk to you. You are one of my closest friends, Mark. And so is Randy, and I don't want to see either of you guys go through this, but if it you really aren't sure what you want, then do yourselves both a favor and just be done with it now. For yours, Randy's and Jeff's sake." With that, Chris got up from the small table and left Mark alone to his thoughts.

Mark thought it best to not see Jeff again until after he talked to Randy, which was quite easy, as Mark noticed that anytime he entered a room or the hotel bar, while Jeff was there, Jeff found a reason to quickly leave. Mark found it odd that he'd act this way, when he was sure the younger man would be trying harder to get him to fall for him again. Mark wasn't able to dwell on that for too long though, Chris had called him and told him that Randy had agreed to talk with him at the supershow on Saturday.

**xXx**

Walking into the arena, Mark was tired and his head ached from the hours he spend thinking over what he could possibly say to Randy. All he wanted was to talk to him and find a way to make things better, but he had no idea how to do that. He wanted things to be better, but was at a loss of words he could say to make it happen.

Finally, he reached his locker-room and threw his bag onto the floor before pulling out his phone. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he couldn't wait to see and hear Randy again. He dialed and lifted the phone to his ear to wait. "Hey Mark," he heard. Mark had to take a seat, it had seemed like so long that he'd heard Randy say his name. "Hello?" Randy said. Mark gathered himself, "Randy," he was still unsure of what to say though. "Could you meet me up at the press box?" he finally asked. "Yeah, I'll be there in about ten minutes." Randy answered. "Thank you," Mark said before hanging up the call.

He made his way to their meeting place and took a seat, watching all the happenings down below at ringside. He waited anxiously before he finally heard the door open, he stood up and watched the tall man enter the room.

"Randy…" was all Mark could say, the look his boyfriend's face broke his heart. He stepped closer, wanting to reach out for the solemn young man, but stopped himself.

* * *

Chapter 25, there it was. What do you think? Personally, I wasn't thrilled with it. That's what happens when I spend more than a couple of hours on it. But it doesn't matter what I think... it matters what **YOU** think. I hope you liked it enough to _**REVIEW**_! =) And actually, if you hated it, I hope you'll still **_REVIEW!_**

Again, I'm looking for some **honest and critical feedback**. Thanks to all those who have _**reviewed**_ and especially **IsadoraAngst** for helping me take a look at the story from a different point of view. Much appreciated.

On a side note, I've realized that this story has lost it's timeline. I really don't know when the heck this is all taking place. I'm so terrible at this. Haha. I'm going to call it about Dec. 2010. Yes... perhaps about the time the Slammy's took place and Shawn challenged Taker to a rematch at WM 26. Yeah... some time around then.

**_REVIEW! =)_**


	26. Chapter 26

"How are you?" Randy asked as he took a seat, Mark doing the same. "I'm torn," he answered honestly. "Between fixing our future and going back to something so familiar with Jeff." Randy turned his head away from Mark, to look out the giant window in front of them. "I am sincerely sorry for what I did. To both you and Jeff. I shouldn't have let what happened happen. I take full responsibility for my actions. It was never my intention to do something that would hurt you though. That night," Mark continued, as Randy didn't seem to have anything to say. "I did want to see Jeff, but to have dinner. I couldn't get a hold of him, so I called Matt. He asked me to check on Jeff because he wasn't feeling well earlier that night."

Randy's face was stone, he gave no response to what Mark was explaining, he simply continued to stare out of the window. "I found him in a bad place," Mark said, not wanting to expose the truth. "He needed me and before I could stop us, I had already let things get out of hand. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to think of you first, as I should have been. I'm embarrassed of my own actions throughout the past months. I should have never put you in the position you've been in, without first dealing with everything in a proper manner." Randy still showed no emotion to the Phenom. He crossed his leg and threw one arm over the back of the sofa he was sitting on.

"It seems like I've been apologizing for the same thing over and over again, but I can't seem to change my ways. I wanted things to be easy for us all. Maybe that was too much to ask, and again, that's my fault." Mark knew he was rambling, so he stopped to take a deep breath and gather his thoughts. "I asked far too much of you, but you always took it in stride. I can't thank you enough for the grace and maturity you've shown, but I know I shouldn't have ever asked it of you. You have to understand that I wasn't looking to sleep with him that night. I was never looking for that." Mark had never been so lost on what to say. He fumbled over his words as nothing seemed to be enough to convey how he truly felt. "I should have held your feelings above both mind and Jeff's, I should have better protected you from all of this." He sighed, "I shouldn't have hurt you, Randy. I am deeply sorry for that."

Randy nodded, partly because he wasn't sure of what to say, he knew Mark was sorry for his mistake, and partly because he was afraid his voice would betray him if he tried to speak. Mark moved from the seat his was in and sat on the coffee table in front of the sofa, partially obscuring the Viper's view. "Isn't there anything you have to say?" Mark asked, his brow furrowing. "What would you like me to say, Mark?" the younger man finally said, shrugging his shoulders and sitting forward, leaning his forearms on his knees. Mark could see Randy's eyes betraying his cold demeanor. "Forgive me. Hit me. Talk to me, please." Mark wanted any type of reaction. He could see there was so much the younger man was thinking.

"If it's my forgiveness you want, Mark, I do forgive you." Randy said. "But I don't know what else it is you want from me?" "I can see it your eyes, love." Randy flinched at the term of endearment. Mark saw this and he was ashamed of how much he had hurt the other man. He continued, "I can see you have more going on up there," Mark grabbed the back of Randy's head, moving closer to him. Randy wasn't ready for that though, and pulled his head away gently. Mark sighed and lowered his own in shame. "Please, tell me what you're thinking." The Viper thought for a moment before speaking. "I do have a lot on my mind, but none of it is worth saying." he lied. While he really wanted to say what he felt, he stopped himself from doing so because it was unfair to them both to give either one of them any sort of hope of reconciliation.

It hurt him to say what he was about to; his thoughts jumbled in his head and stuck in his heart. He wasn't ready to give up Mark, but he knew he needed to because there was no point in trying to fight for something that was never his to begin with. He did truly forgive Mark for the indiscretion, but he couldn't stay and wait for it to happen again. It was fair to assume that Mark wasn't the only one at fault for what happened. He knew that Mark was withholding details that would part an equal amount of blame on Jeff. He would never put any blame on the other man because that was simply how Mark was; he took responsibility for his mistakes and bore all the guilt that came with it. Randy didn't want Mark to feel guilty, he knew he would, and it was important to make sure the older man understood that he didn't have to feel guilty. What was done was done, and on Randy's part, all was forgiven.

Randy took a deep breath through his nose and slowly released it through his mouth. "A while back, I told you, and Jeff, that I was aware there was a part of you that I couldn't have because it belonged to Jeff." He swallowed, looked at Mark, trying to ignore how heartbroken Mark's eyes seemed to be. "I wasn't aware just how great that part of you was, but I was aware of it. These past months, I've known exactly what I was getting in the middle of; I stayed because I wanted to be with you, regardless of your history with him. It was worth it; you were worth it. But as happy as I was with you, I think we both knew that, as much as we tried to avoid it, someone was going to get hurt. I certainly didn't want to be that person, but -"

Mark didn't want to listen anymore, "love, please..." he silently begged for him to stop talking. His heart was so torn between Randy and Jeff, but he couldn't bring himself to just give up on the man in front of him. It was too hard and he wasn't ready to do so. "Someone had to get hurt, Mark." Randy said, meeting Mark's green, sullen eyes. "And that's alright, better than it ends now before the three of us get in any deeper." he let out a soft and sad chuckle, "It may sound a bit pathetic of me, but it's enough for me knowing you didn't want to hurt me." Mark shook his head and reached out to hold the other man's hands in his own. "I'm so sorry," was all he could say. "I know you are," Randy said, staring down at their hands, sad that it would be the last time.

"I don't want you to be sorry though, and I don't want you to feel guilty anymore." Randy said, both shocked and surprised to see Mark the way he looked. He wasn't expecting the bigger man to respond in this way. He thought Mark would have been relieved that he wasn't putting up a fight. It made it that much harder for him to go about letting him go.

"Tell me what I can do or say for you to change your mind, to forgive me for all I've put you through?" Mark asked, leaning down to bring their cupped hands to his forehead. "I don't have to see him anymore. I won't…" Randy's own heart broke and his resolve waived for a moment as he watched the normally strong and sometimes stoic man beg for his forgiveness. That made it harder on him to finish what he needed to finish. "There's nothing left to say, Mark and I do forgive you," Randy said, "for everything." he added. He had never seen Mark in such a distraught manner; he was always strong enough to handle anything.

After a few moments, Mark took a deep breath and raised his eyes to meet Randy's. He could see the slight resolve, but he could also see how determined the young man was. He didn't want to be hurt again and this was his way out before Mark could do it again. Mark knew it was selfish to want him to stay, but that didn't change how he felt.

"My love for you is genuine, Randy, despite my past actions and lack of saying so," Mark finally said after regaining the strength in his voice and his appearance. Randy nodded, slightly smiling at the bigger man, "and so is mine," he said. "Then will you please rethink-" Mark began, but was cut off. Randy shook his head, "and so are your feelings for Jeff and his for you, which actually makes this easier for me. I don't want to do this, but I know you're torn between the two of us, and I want to make it easier for you."

Randy let go of the other man's hands and stood up. Mark standing up just after him, looking into Randy's eyes, his own still pleading with him to change his mind, but with no use. Randy questioned his next move, but knew it was something he wanted before leaving. Before he could follow through with his actions though, Mark wrapped his large, tattooed arms around his neck. Randy rested his forehead against the taller man's shoulder, letting his own hands move to rest on his hips. After a moment, they each pulled away, with Mark pausing for a moment to gently kiss Randy's cheek. Both men let go of one another and looking into Mark's green, heartbroken eyes once more, Randy told Mark, "please, remember that despite my walking away, _my_ love for you is also genuine."

Mark looked down at the floor and swallowed to stop himself from begging yet again. He could see just how hurt Randy was, though he tried to hide it. It wasn't fair to ask him to stay when he was still unsure of what he wanted, in spite of his declaration to not see Jeff anymore. Had Randy stayed, he would have followed through with that promise, but without him, he was still stuck between the two. Glancing up, he saw Randy open the door and walk out of the room, leaving him there with his thoughts.

* * *

Well, that was a bummer to write. Still though, I hope you all enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter. I know this one was short, it was supposed to be longer, but I just couldn't bring myself to continue with a different part.

Where do you all stand now on **Team Randy** or **Team Jeff**? - I seriously loved how split this story was on Jeff fans and Randy fans. I hope things are still split. It makes things more fun. Haha. =)

Again, as for the timeline, i'm far, FAR too lazy to go by actual dates and such, so I'll kind of make things up (as I pretty much have been, haha). So... SPOILER ALERT... Jeff doesn't quit or get fired. I think I'm passed that time, but yeah... he doesn't.

So, yeah... _**REVIEW!**_ and give me some feedback. Tell me if it sucks or if it made your cry or made you want to throw your computer across the room. Tell your friends **_FortheLoveofWrestling_** is back and this story will be updated within a _reasonable_ timeframe. =)


	27. Chapter 27

"No, I'm fine rooming by myself, thank you." Mark told his friend Glenn.

"Are you sure?" Glenn asked again, only to receive a nod in return.

Glenn and a few other friends of Mark had been worried about him. Since his break-up with Randy, which made the rounds backstage rather quickly and didn't go unnoticed by Mark. Mark had spent most of his time on his own. The times he wasn't held up in his hotel room or locker room by himself, he spent with the younger Hardy brother.

While some of the guys felt it was good for him to get out when he did, his closest friends were troubled by the fact that Mark was spending time with Jeff, after breaking it off with Randy and never really discussing the specifics of it all. To everyone, Mark just went from a good relationship with Randy back to an always rocky one with Jeff, and all within just a few days.

None of them were upset with Jeff, as none of them knew of the incidents that happened between the threesome prior to the break-up. Their concern was born of the on-again-off-again type of relationship they had had in the past. Everyone knew of that, there was no hiding the past they shared, as it was common knowledge amongst most of the guys. No one brought it up in conversation, but they all knew and so they all worried too. The thought that Mark could have been cheating on Randy with Jeff crossed everyone's mind, but no one dared to share that thought aloud either.

"Thank you, Glenn. Everything is fine though." Mark offered him, when he spotted the look of concern on the other man's face. The two men walked to the elevator of the hotel they had just checked into. Glenn shook his head at himself. He was either an idiot or just too jetlagged from the flight they had just come from to care of the consequences of asking what he was about to ask his dearest friend.

When they were in the privacy of the elevator, Glenn asked bluntly, "Mark, did you cheat on Randy with Jeff?"

Mark quickly looked at the slightly taller man, confusion and possibly fear and guilt on his face. "Why would you ask me that, Glenn?" he asked.

"It just seems like there is something going on with the three of you. You and Randy broke up, fine, and besides me, Jeff is the only other guy you can tolerate being around. Things just aren't right between the you guys, it's obvious. You," Glenn emphasized, "are acting so differently. I only want to know what's going on."

Mark nodded his head, "Is this what the whole locker room is busying themselves with lately? I don't think my personal life is anyone's business but my own. I don't need to explain anything to anyone."

"No, you don't." Glenn countered quickly, "I'm not asking you to tell the locker room your business, I'm asking you to tell me. I'd like to think that you and I are good friends, Mark. So, I'd like you to answer me truthfully. I'll drop it, if you'd like, but I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with you."

Mark swallowed hard, finally though, he had to admit to his mistake. Mark looked to Glenn and answered him, "yes." Mark quickly walked out of the elevator when the doors chimed open, leaving a stunned Glenn just behind him.

**XXX**

Chris sat down roughly onto his bed for the night. After the long flight he'd had, he wanted to sleep and not wake up until he absolutely needed to. Seeing his friend though, he quickly let go of that thought.

Randy rolled his suitcase to his own bed, where he opened it and started fishing out the items he would need for the night and the next morning. He looked up when he felt Chris watching him.

"Am I bothering you? You look pretty beat," he said.  
"I am, but no, you're fine," Chris said. He continued to watch Randy, noting how tired he looked as well. After spending the last month rooming with him, he knew exactly why that was - the younger man hadn't had a decent night of sleep in that whole time. Some nights he stayed awake until the early morning, only getting a couple of hours of sleep. The other nights were spent restlessly.

"You look like shit, Randy." Chris stated.

Randy snorted, "thanks, Chris." Shutting his suitcase, he moved it to the side.

"Sorry, pal. It's just getting pretty obvious that you aren't getting enough sleep and that something is bothering you. You've been down since you broke it off with Mark, and as much as I love the guy, you need to get over him. He was an asshole, plain and simple. You don't need that." Chris explained. He looked at his friend once more as he spoke, the look on the other man's face said he wasn't unaware of how he looked.

"It isn't that plain and simple, Chris. I wish it was." Randy tried to defend, though he really didn't know why exactly. "It's hard, you know? I wasn't expecting it to be this hard." Chris pitied the kid, but all he could do was tell him what he thought about the situation and help him work out the obvious struggle he was dealing with.

"You stay in your head too much, trying to stay so fuckin' tough and unbothered. If you're angry, no one is going to fault you, Randy. Be fuckin' angry."

He was angry. Angry, upset, disappointed, hurt and just tired. He wasn't aware just how tired and hurt he truly was until this moment. Lying in bed after talking with Chris, he realized just how tired he was of it all. So much time he spent trying to support Mark in dealing with his struggles, sacrificing his own needs and emotions to make sure Mark was in a good enough place for him, but never really having Mark for himself - all of it had taken a large toll on him. His selfless endeavors only brought about more conflict. In the darkness of the hotel room, the thoughts going through his mind were heavy and heated.

Going back and forth with Jeff, jeopardizing his own character for their benefit, and having nothing to show for it was finally showing itself to him. Maybe Mark was worth it all, but it was obvious that Mark didn't think he was worth it.

With a clearer vision of his feelings and everything that had led to them, Randy realized that he didn't want to care about it anymore. It was too much, and like Chris said, he'd be better off not suppressing everything he felt. That's what had gotten him in trouble before. He wouldn't do that anymore.

Briefly, the fear that he may not be able to constructively release the anger he had flowing through him now made him question if he was going about this the right way, however another one of those emotions he'd hidden for much too long overrode that thought. Mark had hurt him, after all they had done to mend whatever wounds may have still been open between the three of them, he had gone and made a mistake that cut deeply. Whether intentional, it didn't matter. It hurt all the same.

Hurt and tired, Randy was fed up with feeling the way he did. He wanted to feel normal again and not have Mark on his mind constantly; if he never talked to Jeff again, he wouldn't mind either. As a naturally strong and independent person, it was an odd feeling to be so affected by another person, but that only fueled his newfound desire to rid his thoughts of the older man and the one who had proven to the victor in some game he'd allowed himself to become apart of. They could have each other, just as it probably always should have been. He was a fool to believe anything could change between the two of them; they'd always need each other. Though he could admit he still held feeling for Mark, they were feelings he'd let go by any means necessary. He was too tired and hurt to care about being the bigger man anymore. It was too much work to try to hide just how tired and hurt he was. He wanted to be angry. He would allow himself to be angry about this. He felt he'd earned that right; by walking away from Mark, he had to deny himself something that felt so good and right, but now, he wouldn't do that. He'd earned the right to be angry, at least until he could move on.

**XXX**

Jeff dried his hair in the fluffy hotel towel as he walked out of the bathroom. Mark glanced up from his book and smirked at the youngest Hardy gliding across the room, another towel clung to his hips, leaving little to Mark's imagination. Mark chastised himself and went back to his book.

"It's okay to peek, you know?" Jeff piped up. "It ain't nothing you haven't seen before." he added as he stood up and threw the towel he was using on his hair to the chair beside him. "In fact, I kind of like when you gawk."

"I was not gawking. Noticing, but not gawking." Mark said as convincingly as possible, but with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"Whatever you say, man," Jeff said. After taking a moment to gawk himself, Jeff strutted over to the bedside, beside Mark, who was back to his book. Mark glanced over his eyelashes to stare at Jeff who was staring straight back.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Jeff plucked the book from Mark's hand as he leaned down to kiss him. Needy, Jeff snaked his tongue between Mark's lips. Blushing from the heat building in him, Jeff pulled away.

"Fuck me," he shamelessly demanded. Mark groaned as Jeff played with the hem of the towel around his waist, taunting and tantalizing the older man.

He stopped Jeff's hand before he could finish unwrapping himself. "I can't, I won't Jeff," he said. Jeff stepped an inch closer, running his hand across the front of his towel, teasingly now. Mark shifted higher on the bed, trying his best to ignore what the younger man was eliciting from him.

"There's no good excuse not to," Jeff reasoned. "No anymore."

The subject was still a sensitive one for Mark, so he tried to stifle his agitation, but he knew Jeff was right. There was nothing stopping them, but Mark wasn't willing to give into Jeff until the terms were clear. If they were going to happen again, he wanted them both to be sure. He needed to know that through all the mistakes they'd made in the past, all the mistakes he'd made with Randy, that he was a better man having learned from them. He wasn't sure that he had learned everything he was supposed to. He practically abandoned Jeff, found solace in Randy, then fought for Jeff only to end up having to fight for Randy as well. In the end, he'd still managed to make a mess of their lives.

He wasn't convinced he couldn't jump into a relationship, especially not back into one with Jeff. Jeff, try as he might, was still flighty. But it wasn't without effort. He could see Jeff wanted to establish roots with someone, as flighty as he was, Jeff needed to be grounded more than anything. Between his brother, his dad and Mark, he never had the need to establish a connection with anyone else. Between the three of them, all of his needs were satisfied. That's what Mark feared. He knew Jeff loved him, but it was whether Jeff could love him enough to not treat him like a lifeline to use when he felt himself drowning in everything else. Mark needed to be the lifeline Jeff always held close, not the one he only clung to in a time of need. He knew Jeff needed and wanted that, but if he'd allow himself to give into it was another question.

It was wrong of him to put so much of their situation on Jeff. It was his doing that caused most of it. Jeff had nothing to do with his relationship with Randy, it was him who felt the need to reach out to Jeff. Randy, the selfish prince he was, encouraged him, wanting him to work through his issues, but he should have learned to separate the two relationships better. It wasn't Randy's responsibility to help fix his problems. Mark cursed himself for ever letting things escalate to the level they had. Simply, he should have never let Randy get dragged into his problem, a problem much more difficult to understand than even he knew.

He did love Randy, he was sure of it, but his feelings for Jeff were still strong. He certainly loved Jeff too, how could he not after going through everything they had gone through and still being here with him now.

"Jeff, I already told you." Mark said. "I don't want to cross that line until we're sure. Until I'm sure."

"That's such bullshit, Mark." Jeff accused, "We both know how we feel, you just don't want to feel guilty. I need you, Mark. I know that you feel the same way, stop being such a pussy about it."

Mark rolled his eyes and pulled his hand away from Jeff's hip where it had been resting. "I just want to be sure no one will be getting hurt again. I haven't even spoken with him to see how he's doing. I need to be sure I'm doing the right thing."

Jeff snorted and threw up his hands. "Why am I here then? If you're not sure, why am I standing here in your room with you? I mean something to you don't I? You mean everything to me, Mark. I'm sorry things happened the way they did, but I just want to be with you, I just -," he trailed off, his heart and body working faster than his mind could manage.

Jeff leaned down once more before Mark could give any sort of answer, he captured Mark's lips with his own. He brought his hand to rest at the back of Mark's neck. He let his thumb caress the other man's jaw line and opened his mouth a bit to let Mark in. Jeff brought his knee up onto the bed and straddled Mark's waist, letting the towel slip slightly from his hips. Leaning against the bigger man, Jeff felt Mark's hands on his waist as they kissed. He could also feel his growing need to be with Mark once again. Mark felt Jeff reach under the hem of his shirt and begin to caress his abdomen and chest. Mark pulled away, trying to gain some control over his senses. He looked at the man in front of him, saw the fear and hope in his eyes, just as much as he saw the desire. He wanted to please the man, he wanted to make him happy, that was all he ever wanted. He wanted Jeff to be happy and he wanted to be the cause of that happiness.

Watching Mark's face, Jeff searched for just a sliver of hope for them. After a moment, he found it there in the green eyes staring back at him. Like so many other times before, he looked at Mark and saw what he needed to see. He saw hope, and desire and…

"Love me," Jeff whispered to him.

In that moment, he heard everything he needed to in that plead of desperation. Mark still stood rigid though, he wouldn't allow himself to give in, he needed to know for certain before he could do anything more with Jeff. Still though, he knew regardless of what their future held, he loved Jeff. That wouldn't change.

"I already do," he said just before attacking Jeff's Adam's apple. His teeth grazed along the sensitive flesh and Jeff's hips grinded into his. From the sensitive skin there, he moved up along his jaw, stubble prickling his lips. One hand on his hip, the other at the back of Jeff's head, Mark moved along, kissing and nipping at the flesh. Though he wouldn't break his promise to himself, he could feel each and every one of Jeff's moans and touch eat away at that. Jeff needed Mark, and Mark couldn't deny what his body was feeling at the moment. He reached down between their bodies as his ever-roaming lips found Jeff's ear. Unable to resist a quick nibble there, Mark satisfied himself with a taste. Feeling a shiver travel through the younger man, Mark whispered huskily to him, as he unwrapped and freed him of his towel, "touch yourself, Jeff."

* * *

What, a new chapter? Yeah, I posted a new chapter. Anyone still interested in this? I hope so! Leave a **review** and let me know. :) Hope everyone is doing well and all. Feel free to just say hi or whatever too. To those who read this, thank you. Really. - FTLOW


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